Dressed in DRAB: Sanctum Soldier
by dark habit
Summary: Both Azure and Rex were given a chance to redeem themselves. They accepted, thinking Sanctum Academy would be nothing compared to the criminal underworld. However, dealing with classes, their future teammates Haley and Jason, and most of all each other, they'll realize just how unprepared they were. Companion to Phoenix Rose. Thanks to Phoenix Commander, Dantai, and Coldplayfan12.
1. Y1C1 Settling In

**AN: First Chapter of Sanctum Soldier. While this is the same timeline as Streets of Vale, I am going to try to keep this story readable without requiring everyone to read SoV.**

 **Also, RWBY V 3 and RWBY Recaps Volume 3. Except for my failure at not crying because of Ren's new voice,** **(WHY DID THEY HAVE REN SPEAK SO MUCH IN THE FIRST EPISODE!? I didn't want that bandage ripped off)** **life is good.**

 **Haley Dragon Onyx belongs to ColdPlayfan12. Jason Breech belongs to Dantai. All other OCs this chapter are mine.**

 **I honestly cannot undersell how valuable C** **oldPlayfan12 and Dantai have already been for me and probably will be.**

 **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. (We miss you Monty)**

 _Thought_

"spoken words"

( _Telepathic communication_ )

Year 1: Settling In

Azure's POV

Rex and I are walking down the street while I twirl one of my daggers.

 _Sanctum Academy. I spent so many years running from the law, and yet here I am, a Huntress._

"...In training."

I glare at Rex. "What did I say about leaving my thoughts alone?"

He shrugs. "That I am not to listen to anything you think, and only pay attention to what you actually say."

"So why are you responding to my thoughts?"

Rex's voice appears in my head, but he isn't speaking. ( _Because you are the only person that knows I can do it. Besides, nobody can overhear us when we do this and we literally converse at the speed of thought._ )

"When did you learn to do that?"

( _Always, it was in Qrow's instruction booklet_.)

"Seriously, stay out of my head."

( _I'll make you a deal. You figure out how to go blind on demand and then I will figure out how to stop reading minds._ )

I give up with him and switched to thinking my answers. _You are getting a kick out of this aren't you?_

Rex keeps a completely straight face. ( _I would deny that, but we both know I won't straight out lie like that._ )

I concentrate on the image of me flipping him off. He actually raises an eyebrow at that.

( _I don't know I should be impressed that works or be annoyed at your level of maturity._ )

We finally reach the entrance to Sanctum, where a small group of people were gathering. Some Faunus appeared to be speaking to them.

"My name is Artic Boarius, a second year here, and I would like to welcome all of you to Sanctum Academy. First off, I will like to tell you about the registration fees he..."

I tune out after that. _He's just a stupid bully._

(W _ant to put him in his place?_ )

I roll my eyes before turning my head towards Rex and smiling. _That_ _might actually be fun._

Before we do anything, another student in the group speaks out. "I can't believe that you are trying to extort us. This is a school designed to train Hunters. You really expect that people who are training to protect others are going to put up with some stupid hazing?"

( _I like her, she's feisty. Get ready._ )

I pull out another dagger and get ready as Rex speaks himself. "Besides that, we are training to become fighters. You tried this without knowing if you could actually beat us if we challenged you."

Artic glares at Rex. "You think that you will beat me?"

"I know I can, but I was more talking about my friend here." ( _Now, Azure!_ )

Raising my daggers behind my back, I use my Semblance to Shift behind Artic, the blades now pressed against his throat. "Dead," I whisper just enough that only he would pick it up.

Artic stands there, paralyzed, while I remove my daggers from his throat and sheath them again. "Now leave."

I laugh as he makes a hasty retreat. I turn around to face the crowd, and take in the looks of shock.

Rex walks up to me. "We've been here for less than five minutes, and I think we already made an enemy."

I shrug. "Old habits die hard I guess."

The crowd disperses, but the girl who spoke out before our stunt stays behind. "The two of you are pretty impressive. What are your names?"

Hesitantly, I give a small smile. "I am Azure Raptor. A pleasure to meet you."

"I am Rex."

The girl smiles. "Just Rex?" Seeing Rex shake his head, she continues, "I am Haley Onyx."

* * *

"The two of you are nothing alike. Why are you friends?"

 _I ask that question every day of my life Haley. Every... single... day._

( _I'm not that bad._ )

I look at him. "You are that bad."

Haley stares at me. "What was that?"

I start rubbing the back of my head nervously. _I can't believe I blew that already... Don't you dare say anything Rex._

I quickly lie to cover up my slip. "Me and Rex know each other to the point we don't need to speak to talk with each other. I forgot that half a conversation looks weird. Honestly though... I think that's why we are friends. We're not from Mistral and have some history together."

Rex speaks up. "Is is only natural to seek familiarity, even if its not the best for you. We understand each other in a way others simply can't."

A new voice sounds out. "Dracul! Is that really you? Over here!"

Rex shakes his head. "I have the worst fucking luck. Azure, I will see you later. Onyx, a pleasure meeting you." He breaks into a dash only to be followed by some monkey faunus.

Haley looks at me. "Why did he call Rex 'Dracul' and why did Rex run?"

I laugh a little. "At some point Rex started going by his family name rather than his personal one, which means that the guy chasing him knows Rex from before I met him. As to why he ran... I'm not sure, but Rex isn't comfortable talking about his past... he finds it painful. An 'old' friend may bring up something he doesn't want to talk about."

"He's going to miss the Headmaster's speech."

"I'll tell him anything important. We need to get there ourselves."

* * *

We enter the main hall just in time for the beginning of the speech.

"Hello students. I am grateful to see so many young faces here ready to become the next generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses. The journey ahead of you is long and hard, but the journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step. By showing up here, you have made that first step. The challenge for you now is continue on this path, where the teachers here and I will help guide you into the best you can truly be."

I mutter to Haley. "In other words, thank you for volunteering on a job where you are expected to die by your 30s and we'll be here to make sure you don't get cold feet."

I don't know why, but Haley got pissed off by that comment. "Don't _ever_ joke about that."

I take a step away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt... your... feelings. Who is that?"

I was caught in a stare-down with another bird faunus, but I was distracted by his gaze.

 _I've seen that look before. He's met Death and survived. Why would some kid like him have it?_

"I've never met him. You want to talk with him?"

"No. Those eyes unnerve me."

"Eyes?

"The eyes of a survivor. There is a story there..."

"If you're not talking to him, I will." Haley starts walking towards the boy. I follow, still uncomfortable.

"Hello. We noticed you looking at us. I am Haley, this is Azure."

His hand reaches for something inside his shirt. "Jason."

I narrow my eyes. "Why were you staring?"

"I saw that stunt you pulled. I am curious about you and the other guy."

"A word of advice. Don't. There is very little on me and Rex, and what is there is not pretty." I turn and walk off, Haley looking shocked at what just transpired.

* * *

I enter the dorm wing and start looking for my room. _Where is it?_

( _Take the next left._ )

 _Rex, you could just come out and greet me like a normal person._

( _I'm making jasmine._ )

Rex had gotten me into tea, and he knows jasmine is my favorite. _I_ _hate you so much, but your forgiven this time._

With Rex guiding me, I make it to my dorm room.

( _Door on the right is yours. The one right across is mine._ )

I enter Rex's dorm and see him with a pair of cups ready.

"So, did I miss anything with the speech?"

I take my cup and chuckle. "You were right. It was just some stupid motivational speech. However, I met someone of interest. A boy named Jason. He has the eyes of those who escaped Death's cold clutches."

"Worth watching. Did you grab my schedule?"

"We have the same one. Combat classes at the end of the week."

"I'm looking forward to it..."

 **WN: More of a buildup chapter, but alas, I had to set the stage and bring in Haley and Jason.**

 **That monkey faunus I mentioned? Sun Wukong. Canon-wise, he's a Mistralian student originating from Vacuo, so of course he knows Rex.**

 **Artic Boarius was introduced because it simply isn't a high school story without a bully. Expect him to show up a few times over this story, though he won't be prominent.**


	2. Y1C2 Soldier vs Hunter part 1

**AN: This is the first Combat chapter of Sanctum Soldier. Today's matchup? I decided that I would start by having the members of DRAB duel each other. Rex verses Jason and Haley verses Azure. I actually went through a lot of thought on who would fight who. I considered race, gender, weaponry and Semblances. However, in the end I said _F*ck it, I going with the situation that lets me make a Red vs Blue Joke._ Thought you all would find how my mind works would be funny.**

 **Dantai was informed beforehand of this fight, and he granted his blessing on the stipulation that Jason had a fair showing, which I always intended. He actually got early access so he could give his final say on the chapter, although only the fight itself.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY. The song is Round One by Jeff Williams (FINALLY HAVE JEFF'S SONGS!)**

Year 1: Soldier vs Hunter RVB

Azure's POV

 _Finally, today we get to battle. No more playing nice._

We are all sitting in the stands, as the professor is introducing the class. He's... interesting, given the fact he seems to be wearing an Ursa pelt.

"This class is dedicated for sparring between peers. There are two purposes for this. First, it helps find and fix flaws in your fighting styles. While _most_ Grimm are mindless beasts, the elder specimens have learned to exploit those flaws if they see one. Second, it helps you learn to fight people. There are some criminals out there who have unlocked Auras. The police are outmatched against them and it often falls upon Hunters to detain them."

I glance over to Rex, noticing he doesn't seem to be paying attention. _Not too long ago, we were the criminals those Hunters were chasing._

"Now I am going to ask for volu-"

Immediately, Rex's hand shoots up. "I volunteer."

"Okay Mr. Rex, I see you would like to demonstrate your skills. Any volunteers for his opponent?"

I see Haley is about to volunteer. I quickly place my hand on hers. When she looks at me, I shake my head and mouth _not him._ She looks confused, but doesn't raise her hand.

"If there are no volunteers, I will use the randomizer..."

 _I feel pity for whoever gets selected to fight Rex._

"The result is... Jason Breech."

As Rex and Jason head to the locker room to switch out their school uniforms for their combat clothes, Haley turns to me.

"Why did you stop me?"

I shake my head. "Rex is never more alive than when his weapons are in his hands. I spent the last month training with him. He doesn't hold back."

* * *

Round one...

Round one...

Round begins in 5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

* * *

Rex's POV

 _This is the one Azure told me about. I can see it. He's a Survivor. That means he won't be easily intimidated._

The professor gives the rules. "This matched will be moderated. when one side holds a clear advantage, surrenders, or your aura dips into the red, the match will be over."

 _If I can't scare him, next best move is anger._ I rest Necessity on my shoulder and call out. "You seem a little tense, Breech. Want a couple of warm-up swings?"

( _You cocky bastard!_ )

He holds his weapons ready, giving me a chance to observe them. _Kusarigama, designed to lock up weapons and loop around defenses to strike someone trying to block. I can't rely on blocking them, have to dodge. Pistol embedded, six chambers each._

I can read that he's going to fire the moment he's allowed, so I subtly shift my weight onto my left leg.

"Begin!"

* * *

You got blood on your face  
Looks like you're a total disgrace  
You came here to take me down  
But I only see one of us on the ground

Like a dog with a bone  
I wont stop 'till you buried and your tombstone  
Reads "here lies a soul  
Who should have fucked with someone that wasn't so cold"

Better pull yourself together  
Better figure out a plan  
You're about to get your beating  
Better take it like a man  
It's gonna be a long day  
And it's only just begun  
'Cuz it's only Round One

* * *

As was expected, the moment the signal was given, Breech was pulling the trigger. I spring off my foot, launching myself right in a run. Drawing Invention from my jacket I launch a bullet of my own striking his wrist.

"Come on, Breech. I can _see_ you thinking!"

He starts twirling the kusarigama in his right hand, keeping the left's pistol pointed at me. We continue circling, waiting for the other to trip up.

I continue to taunt him. "Breech, are you scared? I'm getting bored here."

He swings the weapon in a horizontal arc. I duck underneath the chain, only to turn it into a roll as he fires the other's gun.

 _Yeah, he's pissed._

I charge, swinging Necessity at his neck. He blocks it, and our weapons lock together as we stare each other down.

He speaks. "Give up Rex. I refuse to back down."

I bring my knee up, striking his gut and winding him. I retreat, and our circling resumes.

Breech swings again. _Time for a gamble._

I catch the strike with my sword arm, the chain wrapping around and linking us. We start tugging, each trying to pull the other off balance.

* * *

I'm in the saddle  
I'm in the black  
You're like the sniffles bitch I'm like a heart attack

I'm like iron  
I'm like steel  
I got a heart made of metal and I don't feel  
Any pity or remorse  
You made a bad move now it's gonna take it's course

I'm a bull  
In a china shop  
You're a tea cup someone better clean you up

* * *

Breech starts firing with his free weapon, and with the chain pulling on me, I can't dodge as effectively. A bullet connects with my hip and another strikes me right over the heart. However, the click of an empty chamber tells me that he needs to reload before he can continue.

I stop fighting the pull and charge forward. Without me pulling back, Breech loses balance. I wrap my sword arm around his free one, and unleash a half-dozen bullets point blank into his gut.

"Breech, you showed you are no amateur. There is no shame in surrendering."

"Bite me."

I kick Breech and once more we separate. I quickly glance to the screen and note that his Aura had hit roughly half, although mine was around three quarters. I smile. _The chain was crushing my arm. That's why. I knew he was strong. The kid gloves are coming off.  
_

* * *

Welcome to the terror dome now there's no escape  
See what happens when you tug on Superman's cape?  
Accept your fate it's too late to try to save face  
I'm gonna leave your ass in pieces all over the place

Jabs hooks uppercuts yeah you're goin down  
I'm guaranteeing you won't make out the first round  
look at your eyes, I see I got you your ass shook  
Best believe your 'bout to get your monkey-ass whooped

Better pull yourself together  
Better figure out a plan  
You're about to get your beating  
Better take it like a man  
It's gonna be a long day  
And it's only just begun  
'Cuz it's only Round One

* * *

I pop the clip on Invention, and replace it with one filled with shock-Dust rounds. _At this level of Aura, my other kinds might start to actually wound him._

Breech uses the lull to reload his guns as well. We both realize this match is going to end _soon._

Abandoning the defense, I charge. Our weapons clash once more and he swipes with his free one across my chest. I fire a round into his shoulder, the electricity weakening his block. I surge forward and clear his defense. I make several swift strikes with Necessity before sweeping his leg. As he hits the ground I smash Invention's grip into his forehead.

I mutter to him, "You would be dead right now."

The professor calls the match, seeing that I had subdued Breech. I stand up and examine the watchers, several of them shocked at the unneeded and cruel end blow.

 _That's right; you should be scared of me. You haven't met the true monsters out there..._

 **Wn: Part one done!  
**

 **I will end up using official weapon names for whoever's perspective we're seeing from. Necessity is Rex's Killij sabre, Invention is his HC Pistol.**

 **Rex is a very cruel man on the battlefield. He will manipulate his opponents' emotions to cause them to make stupid mistakes.**

 **Up next will be Azure and Haley in their own duel.**


	3. Y1C3 Soldier vs Hunter part 2

**AN: Its time for a catfight... no offense to the women and cat Faunus in the audience.**

 **Blake: As a representative of both, some taken.**

 **Holy Sh*t! ...Damn cat ninja.**

 **Disclaimer: Song used is Laughin' At U by Tre-Dot.**

Year 1: Soldier vs Hunter HVA

Haley's POV

"What the Hell is wrong with Rex? That was uncalled for."

Azure shrugs. "Now you know why I warned you."

"Can you explain why he would consider potentially giving Jason a concussion acceptable?"

Azure hesitates for a few seconds. "Rex... was trained by experience. Every fight he got in had real stakes attached. For him, losing one of those fights might as well be a death sentence."

I can tell that Azure is hiding something. "That doesn't explain his brutality there."

"In a real fight, simply flooring a person doesn't mean they aren't a threat. That last strike could be used to stun a person long enough to get away."

 _That does make sense, but there is more to the story there._

The professor asks if anyone else was willing to volunteer for the next fight. I stand up. Azure volunteers soon after. We walk off to get ready.

* * *

Fair fights don't exist!  
I'm in the cut watchin u...  
Watchin waitin for my time...  
Ain't no rules in war!  
Ha Ha laughin at u...

* * *

Azure's POV

 _"Azure, I take it you understand that as a Huntress, you will need to get better at fighting, instead of fleeing?"_

 _"Of course. You volunteering to help me fight like you?"_

 _"My style is based on my skill set, build, and Semblance. You need to bend your strengths to the situation. You are incredibly nimble and you have a creative mind. While I could teach you my style, you would be better prioritizing on your natural talents. Draw your blades."_

* * *

The two of us stand off, ready to go at the signal. While Haley is in a combat stance, I take a sprinter's crouch, daggers in hand.

 _Remember what Rex taught you. Speed is my strength._ The moment the word is given, I dash forward, quickly covering the ground between us and slash at her neck.

Haley barely manages to deflect the blade with her scythe before attempting to counter with the other. I duck under it, the edge grazing my hair. I quickly slice an outwards X with my daggers before Shifting back several feet.

"Rex may stronger than me, but even he struggles against my raw speed." With a chuckle I Shift directly in front of her, already launching a long succession of slashes. Haley deflects most of them, but every so often one slips through her defenses.

* * *

Who, me, ain't nobody comin this way I see  
Stand tall u so small to me  
Toe to toe wit my enemies  
Watch 'em fall deceased  
This right here is strategy  
For every move u makin I'm makin three  
Now u wanna leave crawl on ya knees  
Laughin at this new opportunity  
Focused on opponents that he tryin to fight  
Time to die his neck is sliced  
Cryin that he never had a chance to fight  
Guess he gotta die tonight  
E'erbody know I don't like to fight  
End this quick and take his life  
One last test he outta breath  
Hit him wit a death blow thru his chest

If u go to war you'll die  
Me versus you and you gon fry  
Death is fallin from the sky  
I laugh at u ahaaaaa ahaaaa  
Fight u must no tears I cry  
Watch 'em close they got my eye  
See fair fights a waste of time  
Laughin at u ahaaa ahaaaaaa

* * *

Haley starts to strike back as well as defend. I reverse my grip on the dagger in my left hand, and start using it to catch her blows. I Shift behind her and manage to land a strike on her back before she turns and the dance of steel continues.

* * *

 _"Azure, why are you trying to stand your ground?"_

 _"You said I can't run anymore." I start panting. Even with my speed advantage, Rex's Semblance makes it nearly impossible to land a hit. He isn't holding his own strikes back either._

 _"I said you can't escape. You can't take hits like I can. Evade what you can. You are swift, use your speed: move in, strike, retreat."_

* * *

 _I've spent too much time trading blows._ I Shift backwards again to gain distance. I take a quick glance at the board, noting both of us were between half and three-quarter power. I had a slight edge due to the few clean hits I managed to land.

Haley uses the moment of distraction to charge me. Right before her strike hits me, I Shift far behind her. I call out to her, "You can't get close to me unless I say so!"

"You can't keep running Azure! I'm going to clip those wings of yours."

I laugh. "So cute, a bird joke. Here's another one." I flip her off before tossing a blade at her. As she deflects it, I Shift right in front of her and slash her again before Shifting to retrieve the thrown dagger.

Haley does something, and then her scythes connect to each other, extending her range.

 _Lets play then._

* * *

Watchin others fight is fun for me  
All I really know is victory  
Gotta get into it by any means  
Better watch ya back or you'll get creamed  
I comin in until I see them weak  
Break 'em down until defeat  
War has never had a rule my friend  
Watch me standin tall at the end  
Jumpin on 'em then attack  
Smack Smack breakin his back  
Cowardsome to u maybe  
Yawnin at ya D I E  
Talkin bout a fight u dare to speak  
Cut 'em up again until he leaks  
Air deflatin out his cheeks  
Ain't no pity for the weak

If u go to war you'll die  
Me versus you and you gon fry  
Death is fallin from the sky  
I laugh at u ahaaaaa ahaaaa  
Fight u must no tears I cry  
Watch 'em close they got my eye  
See fair fights a waste of time  
Laughin at u ahaaa ahaaaaaa

* * *

 _I go staggering back as Rex kicks me in the gut._

 _"Why the hell did you just kick me in a sword fight?"_

 _"Our entire bodies are weapons. We inherently focus on blades and other forged weapons. That means brawl moves catch our opponents off guard as they need to process a new threat."_

* * *

I toss both daggers at Haley, who dodges away from them. I draw the blade on my right wrist and Shift towards her again. She raises her combined scythe in an attempt to block my strike, only for her leg to buckle as I kick her in the knee. I throw a punch into her gut and Shift away before she gets a chance to respond.

I risk another glance at the board. Haley was at roughly a third of her Aura, but I was shocked that even though she hadn't hit me since the last look, my Aura had fallen below half as well.

 _Wait, some Semblances consume Aura like crazy. Of course teleporting has a drawback._

I charge Haley again. I slash at her neck, and when she goes to block me, I knee her. She swings her scythe upwards, catching me in the chest and pushing me back. I turn the momentum into a back-spring and quickly get my distance again.

 _Both of us are near the threshold. I need something that will END this._

* * *

Love to see the idiots come to play  
Less work for me yeah hooray!  
Cheer 'em on enjoy the scene  
Til I'm ready to swipe 'em clean  
In the cut but I see clear  
Nobody knows that I'm in here  
Should I stay or should I go  
See a man down my cue to show  
Blah Blah I run this  
Blah Blah another hit  
Lookin so sad n cryin to leave  
Nah u stay here lye and bleed  
Thought u had the lead and now up prey  
Only chance u have is pray  
Hope to see a better day  
Sorry for u it's not today

If u go to war you'll die  
Me versus you and you gon fry  
Death is fallin from the sky  
I laugh at u ahaaaaa ahaaaa  
Fight u must no tears I cry  
Watch 'em close they got my eye  
See fair fights a waste of time  
Laughin at u ahaaa ahaaaaaa

Ha Ha All that wasted energy...  
Silly fools tryin to go to war...  
I'll just lay in the cut...  
And when I come down...  
That's the death blow!

* * *

 _I finally put down the brush, looking at Slumber's new symbol. Rex takes a look._

 _"An angel?"_

 _"They may represent good, but they are not necessarily nice. Kind of like us, when you think about it."_

 _Rex merely grunts._

* * *

I sheathe my dagger and pull Slumber off my back. _Two shots, that's all I need._

Haley moves back when she realizes I plan on shooting at her. I pull the trigger and she dodges the bullet. I quickly Shift _above_ her and point down. Haley turns around, expecting me to be behind her.

As I am about to pull the trigger, Rex voice enters my head. ( _Don't you dare shoot!_ )

In my shock, my finger clenches. The bullet fires, but somehow Haley manages to realize I was above her and barely dodge it. She quickly counters, and the strike sends me sprawling to the floor. I look at the screen, and I absently note that my Aura has dropped well into the red. The professor calls the fight, and Haley offers me her hand. I take it and she helps pull me up.

"You had me there for a few moments."

I glance away. "Its still a loss."

* * *

Haley's POV

A couple more fights occurred after ours, but nothing particularly interesting stood out. When the class was dismissed, me and Azure walked out to find Rex was waiting at the door.

"Azure, what the Hell were you thinking using a _sniper_ point blank like that?"

Azure takes a step away. "Its not like you don't use a gun at close range."

Rex actually slaps Azure on the forehead. "And did you notice how low I was aiming with my pistol? Aura doesn't block the full impact. My bullets will leave nasty bruises. _Hell_ , if I use an earth-Dust round, I risk cracking the bone. Sniper rifles are generally twice as powerful. At close range, you won't just break bones, you'll _shatter_ them. Did you consider you nearly sent Haley to the infirmary if not worse?"

I stand there stunned as Rex turned to me. "Onyx, I must apologize for Azure's reckless behavior."

"...Its okay, she didn't realize. As long as she never does it again, it'll be fine."

"Haley... I am _so_ sorry. I don't really have that much experience with what Aura can and can't do and.. and I didn't think and..."

"AZURE! You're forgiven."

However, Rex turns back to me. "I never expected someone to be able to dodge that. How you'd pull it off?"

I chuckle nervously. "I guess I just got lucky." _Thank Dust for my instincts. A Human would have been screwed there._

Rex tilts his head. "Huh. I guess Azure had to bet poorly at some point."

Azure punches him in the shoulder. "Stop saying I only get by on luck." However, she's smiling.

As we walk away, I catch Jason staring at Rex.

 **WN: So the DRAB civil war is over. Winners are the wolves. Go figure my favorite animal won both fights.**

 **Serious time now:**

 **Slumber is the name of Azure's sniper rifle. The name itself is a pun on death being the "Final Sleep". That, and I was playing Sacrifice on repeat when designing Azure and the lyrics were influencing me.**

 **That 'Sniper rifle is generally twice as powerful as a pistol' thing, I looked that up. I found a mere handful of pistols that launch a bullet faster than 1500 fps. Snipers get into the 3000 fps range and get higher caliber bullets.**

 **Azure's panic at the end is completely real. She has had an active Aura for little more than a month and used to view it as being effectively invincible. She _honestly_ didn't realize what could happen.**


	4. Y1C4 Tears of Loss

**AN: It had to happen in this story. I have used a two month time skip** **. Unfortunate, but I simply can't make this fic Slice of Life.**

 **Disclaimer: Song used is Die by Jeff Williams.**

Year 1: Tears of Loss

Azure's POV

The beams of sunlight wake me up. I get up and yawn before heading to the shower. _All said, school isn't that bad. The tests suck, but at least with Rex's help, I'm keeping up with the rest of the year. Besides, the fighting classes are so much fun._

After getting dressed, I head out, only to pause at Rex's door. _Its quiet. I should hear him doing his morning workout right now._

I knock on the door, but he doesn't answer. I knock again, this time with urgency. _He's still not answering! Something's wrong. Never tried Shifting someplace I can't see before, but I've been in there enough to know where I can stand._ I Shift inside, only to see Rex is totally fine, physically anyways. He is sitting on his bed half-dressed, blankly staring at his sword propped up on the wall.I move towards him. "Rex? Are you okay?"

(G _et out._ )

"What's wrong with you? You're just sitting there. We promised to back each other up, no matter how bad it is. You can trust me."

( _Leave. Me. Alone._ )

I reach out for Rex's shoulder, but he slaps it away. "I will be out later today. Now what part of GET OUT did you not understand?"

 _Angry Rex is better than nobody's there Rex._ "I can't just leave yo-"

( _GET THE FUCK OUT!_ )

Wincing at the force of his mental shout, I walk back into the hallway and head over to Haley's room. As I reach the door, I catch the tail-end of a conversation. "-promise to see you over the break. I miss you too."

I quickly back away so it doesn't look like I was eavesdropping. Haley opens the door and waves once she sees me. "Azure, surprised to see you this early. Something up?"

"Rex isn't talking to me."

"What's weird about that? He barely talks to anyone. Hell, he rarely even approaches people if you aren't with him."

"Repeat, _me_. He may be antisocial, but he always talks to me. Something is wrong with him and I can't get him to fess up."

"Tell me what happened."

I sigh. "I leave my room, but Rex is completely silent. He always does his morning workout. He wouldn't answer the door, so I had to break into his room with my Semblance, turns out I can Shift through solid objects for the record, and he's staring into space. He starts telling me to get out, while I'm trying to get him to tell me whats wrong. He says he'll show up later today."

"Let's go to class, you'll see him there."

We head to Professor Dusty's history class. However, Rex doesn't show up to class, and I'm distracted by the lack of his presence. _He breaks a schedule he's followed for months and skips class._

"-TOR!"

I shake my head. "Yes sir?"

"Could you please answer the question I asked you?"

 _Oh crap. How long was I sitting there?_ "Could you... please repeat it for me?"

"What was the Great War fought over?"

 _Thank Dust I actually know this one._ "...The Great War was fought due to the oppression of the individual. It was in defiance that the trend of color names became popular, a trait that has passed on to today."

"Correct. Please see me after class for your little daydream."

I sigh, and attempt to keep track of the lesson, but my gaze keeps glancing over to the doorway, hoping Rex would walk in. After the class ends I walk up to the Professor's desk.

"Miss Raptor, I am disappointed in your lack of focus today."

"My friend has be-"

"What is happening to Mr. Rex is not to distract you from your studies. If he does not wish to join class today, it is not to affect you again."

"Yes, sir."

As I leave he calls out. "Miss Raptor, your heart is in the right place. That concern for others is a sign of a true Huntress."

 _Its not for others. Only Rex._ "Thank you."

I meet up with Haley again and brush off the talk as just a reprimand. The rest of the classes pass, but Rex still doesn't show up. "I'm starting to get really worried. Rex's word is absolute. He said he would show up. He doesn't break his promises."

All of a sudden a voice comes from behind us. "What exactly did he say?"

We turn around to see the monkey Faunus from our first day standing behind us, a lopsided grin on his face. "He said 'I'll be out later today.'"

"Dracul was always like that. He had you thinking one thing while meaning another. He said he'd be out, he never said he'd show up."

I look at him. "Who are you and why do you know Rex?"

He starts rubbing the back of his head. "My name is Sun Wukong. I'm an old friend of Drac- Rex."

Haley starts thinking. "If you know Rex, could you explain why, according to Azure, he's acting unusually."

"Rex is vastly different from the Dracul I used to know, so he's always unusual to me. I really ca- wait a sec. I forgot. _That's_ today?"

We both start staring at him. "Enough with the weird looks. Today is Morgana's birthday." Seeing our confused looks he continues on. "Morgana is the name of Rex's kid sister. She was the sweetest little girl I ever met. Rex practically worshiped her, making sure she was always happy. All of our friends loved her."

Haley looks hopeful. "I've never heard anything about Rex having a sister. She must of been the cutest little pup."

Sun starts to chuckle nervously. "Well, you see... Morgana was human, not Faunus. Rex was adopted when he was seven."

Both of us look away. _I never knew Rex lost his parents. Wait..._ "I met Rex in Vale. He never mentioned he had a sister, adopted or otherwise. If he loved her as much as you say he does, why was he living alone without her?"

Sun looks at the floor. "I don't know. They were both orphaned again a few years back, but they kept on with their lives with as much self-reliance they could. Then they stop showing up and Rex sells the house before leaving Vaccuo. The connection there is probably the cause of Rex's weirdness today. Actually, I saw him headed to the roof. Try something."

I smile. "Thanks Sun."

Me and Haley charge up the stairs, but I pull her back when I start hearing something. I gesture for her to quiet down and we start listening. _Is Rex... singing?_

* * *

It was just fine, we lived in peace  
Looked to a happy ending  
The days were bright, they shined like gold  
Every step ascending  
Our dreams came true, our path was clear  
The moon watched safely from above  
But every smile is not the same  
And every heart's not filled with love for mankind  
Look around, it's getting very hard to find  
Not every open wound is simply healed by time  
But revenge is always sweet and chaos is the prize

Feel it everywhere and you see it growing  
Enemies arise, and the hate is flowing  
Shattering the moon and bloodying the sky  
The machines of war will fuel both sides  
And the greed will only grow more lies  
Farewell to days of peace 'cuz now it's time to  
Die

Where did it go?  
Our peaceful youth seems to be gone forever  
And in it's place a life of war  
Every truce has severed  
We'll live our lives watching our backs  
Not knowing who to trust or fear  
The hate just swallows all the love  
And all the truth will disappear  
Lost and blind  
Seems our dreams of peace have all been left behind  
It's always said white clouds aren't always silver lined  
But the future's looking bleak  
And the storm is set to rise

Say goodbye  
Time to Die  
Say goodbye (Just say goodbye)  
Time to Die (Die...)

Feel it everywhere and you see it growing  
Enemies arise, and the hate is flowing  
Shattering the moon and bloodying the sky  
The machines of war will fuel both sides  
And the greed will only grow more lies  
Farewell to days of peace 'cuz now it's time to  
Die!  
Die!  
Die!  
Die

* * *

I raise my hand to my face, surprised that Rex's voice has driven me to tears. I look over, and I see that Haley is also tearing up. We walk up the last few steps and see Rex staring out to see the city.

"Rex?"

He turns around, and I see that his eyes are red from his own tears. "Hey."

I walk up to him. "This is all about Morgana, isn't it?"

Rex clenches his hands into fists. "Its not right. She was the most innocent person there was. She had a future! And everything was torn away because _I wasn't strong enough to stop it!_ "

Haley places her hand on Rex's shoulder. "I know what its like to lose the ones you care about. You can't keep beating yourself up because she's dead."

Rex starts to growl. " _She isn't dead!_ If she was, I could move on. No, I will find her again, and when I do, I will be strong enough to take her back home. That is why I'm here."

He grabs Haley's hand and I start to fear he'll break it. However Haley ends up pulling Rex and flips him onto the ground. "How... did you... to Rex?"

Haley looks on with shock and runs back downstairs. I debate chasing after her for answers, but decide to take care of Rex instead. "You okay? How did you not react to that?"

"I'm fine. She didn't think, that's why I was unready for it. When I grabbed her, all I could get out of her mind was 'threat', and she's already throwing me. Maybe its better, the pain cleared my head. I can't just... mope here when I need to get stronger."

"Rex, you aren't alone anymore. I can help you. You don't need to shoulder this burden by yourself."

For the first time since I've met him, Rex was smiling off the battlefield. "Thank you. Maybe there is light to pierce the darkness after all."

 **WN: Surprise! Rex does have a sensitive side. He just doesn't like showing it.**

 **Before anyone laughs, the history teacher being 'Dusty' was not a planned joke. Dusty was actually an OC I designed way back when I first came up with Rex and Azure. He was part of team SWRD, which Rex was actually a part of originally. He had the sort of open-mindedness required to really understand history, which is why I gave him that position.**

 **Can I seriously point out just how depressing Die is? Ignore the music, just sing the lyrics to yourself slowly. It fits with the mood I was going with.**

 **Before I go, here's a little surprise for you all.**

* * *

Morgana's POV

I slam into the cell's wall. I refuse let out a groan though, denying him the pleasure of just how much he's hurt me.

"Cry, you little girl! I want to hear you scream!" He kicks me in the chest, and I cough out blood.

"Give... up."

"Why you brat!... I'm impressed. Most people would have broken by now, but don't get your hopes up. It'll make that moment you give in all the sweeter."

As he goes to strike me again, another voice calls out. "Shade! Stop messing around. There is some people who wish to see you."

He turns to walk away, but not before leaving once last twisted remark. "Hope you enjoyed your birthday present."

I crawl to the corner and try to fall asleep, where the pain will disappear for a while.

* * *

Shade's POV

"Who is asking for me that I couldn't continue my conversation with the girl, Adam?"

"Lovely conversation there. Real touching. Before you meet them, know this: they will not put up with your bullshit. If you displease them, they will not hesitate to kill you. You couldn't hope to beat one of them, much less all five. They are all at a strength comparable to my former teacher."

He opens a door and we walk in, before Adam kneels down on one leg. "I have brought the person you requested."

 _Adam Taurus, bowing to someone? Just who are these people?_ Before I can voice my thoughts, one of them speaks. "This is the Shadow of the White Fang? He couldn't possibly be all that impressive."

I draw my sword. "Say that again. I dare you. But first, tell me the name of the person I'm putting a blade through."

One of them chuckles. "Neo, please disarm him before he hurts himself." Another of the five shatters into glass before smashing me in the back, sending me to the floor. She stops to pick up my weapon before walking back to her original position.

The original speaker talks again. "Well, Shadow. You have a long way to go. Don't worry. When we're done, no mere Hunter could possibly dare stand in your way."

I manage to grunt out, "Who... Are... You?"

"I am Cinder Fall. We are team CRMSN. And you are our latest project..."


	5. Y1C5: Broken Bonds

**AN: Today is a special day. This chapter was created through a prompt given by ColdPlayFan12. I do have more prompts for the fic set for later dates, so do look forward to those as well.**

Year 1: Broken Bonds

Haley's POV

Rex, Azure, Jason, and I were sitting in the cafeteria. Azure was joking around, trying to get Rex to smile, to no avail. Rex was reading a book on Aura techniques in an effort to improve his fighting while responding to Azure's jokes. Jason was talking with me and Azure while ignoring Rex. I asked Azure about it earlier, and she said they made an 'gentleman's agreement' to keep things civil as long as we were with them. _Too proud for their own good, more like._

I glance over to Rex. "Are you going to join the Mistral Regional tournament next month? You'd rank pretty high if you didn't claim the top spot."

He shakes his head. "Too many people."

I turn to Azure, who is already translating. "Rex is uncomfortable around large groups of people. After about 50 people, he gets really anxious. There will be hundreds at the tournament, so for him it would be torture."

I laugh. "So that's why Rex hates people."

"I don't hate people, I just prefer to keep to myself. Too much of a headache. Besides, Azure isn't competing either."

Jason looks puzzled. "Why aren't you joining?"

She sighs. "I may like fighting, but in sparring class, I'm one fighter in a large group; I blend in. The tournament would make me the center of attention, which was a bad thing when I was growing up and I'm still a little wary about... Quit laughing Rex!" Azure punches him in the shoulder.

I look at her. "He wasn't laughing. He wasn't even smiling."

"With Rex, its all subtle. You have to learn to read his body language. Believe me, he was having the time of his life there."

Rex shrugs. "I'm used to it. She is very physical with her love." He raises his hand, catching Azure's next swing. "...See? Azure, calm down. I was talking about platonic love."

 _I'm not so certain about that. They act like a couple sometimes._

Rex continues on, "Since you were asking, Onyx, you're planning on competing? I can spar a round or two with you if you want some practice."

Before I can answer, a couple of people walk over. "Wait, Onyx, as in, Alexander Onyx?"

I give a half-felt smile. "You're from Atlas?"

"Can we get your autograph?!"

After handing over a few autographs, they leave. Everybody was looking at me.

Azure breaks the silence. "Well, that was something. What makes you a celebrity?"

I sigh. "Its not me, its the name. The Onyx family is one of the big ones in Atlas. We have a bloodline Semblance that draws upon the strength of dragons. As such, we acted as bodyguards of the Schnee family for generations. The strongest creatures of legend to guard the greatest weapon against the Grimm. My father was the first to break the tradition, when he was enrolled into Beacon as a Huntsman instead of becoming Daniel Schnee's bodyguard. After that, Onyx is a hit-or-miss name with Atlesians, I either get fans or some serious detractors."

"Well that's interesting. What about your mom?"

"She doesn't have quite the weight of my dad. They met at Beacon. Her name was Elizabeth Lupus-"

Azure stops me. "Wait a second. Lupus? Isn't that a Faunus name?"

"Yeah, I'm half-Faunus. I actually identify myself as Faunus, even though I never developed the traits due to my mixed blood."

Azure looks furious. "Well _thank you_ for finally revealing that sort of information now after knowing us for months!"

As she starts standing up, Rex places his hand on his forehead. "Please calm down."

However Azure vanishes. _Did she just use her Semblance to run from us?_

I turn to Rex. "You're not going to run off as well?"

Rex shakes his head. "I'm a Faunus with a human sister. I am the last person to comment on your racial identity. Besides, I already figured out you were a Wolf Faunus."

I stare at him. "How could you guess what my race is? How did you get it _right?_ "

He gives a look that screams _I am so disappointed in you_. "On the Faunus account, I was suspicious from the point you dodged Azure's bullet. No pure human could have done that. Then there was the incident on the roof. The way you looked was of someone who just revealed too much information. The final nail in the coffin was that, during the power outage last week, you looked up, before going back to reading... in the dark."

 _Okay; the night-vision was_ _ _probably_ a dead giveaway._

Rex continues on. "After that, I just looked back to figure out your species. You prefer overly rare meat and eat the bare minimum of greens, which led me to believe you are a carnivorous breed. You have a slight habit of responding to smells more than other senses; that implied you were Lupine. Then I remembered my parents' scents, which were very similar to yours. I was almost certain you were a wolf until you just confirmed it, though the specific type escapes me and I am somewhat curious about. I'm a timber wolf."

"That is... certainly an impressive analysis. Since you are asking, tundra wolf."

Rex tilts his head. "And with that, I now know why your scroll's screensaver is of snowfall. Although I'll admit to curiosity. Could you please continue the story about your mother?"

"Like I said earlier, my mom doesn't have the same weight behind her name like dad did. The only real thing to stand out was that she used to be a part of the White Fang an-" My instincts surge, and I am pulling a knife out and deflecting Rex's pistol before I processed that he had even pulled it on me, his eyes shining with a savage anger. Some part of my mind files away the fact Rex apparently carries a loaded gun everywhere.

"What the Hell, Rex?"

Rex voice comes out as a faint growl. "You're a fucking _Fang?_ Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull the Dust damned trigger right here and now!"

Fear and adrenaline are pumping through my veins. _Is he actually threatening to kill me? If that's the case I need to take him down first!_

Jason gets between us. "Seriously, you two are making a scene in the middle of the cafeteria. Can we please put the weapons away and talk this out like civilized people?"

I look around, and notice the looks of confusion and fear of everyone in the room. Rex slowly lowers his gun. "Sparring room... _now_." He turns and walks away.

Jason looks at me. "You don't have to do this, you know."

 _Part of me does, but the other..._ "No, if I don't clear this with Rex now, we'll be at each others throats until graduation. I need to reason with him."

"I don't think you can reason with a bloodthirsty beast like that. He threatened to _execute_ _you,_ in front of an audience. There won't be anything to stop him if you do this."

Rex's accusation rings through my head. _'You're a fucking Fang?'_

 _He thinks I am part of the White Fang. That is what has him angry. That means I can calm him down if he's willing to listen._

I walk to the sparring room and gather my stuff, Jason following me. Rex is standing in the middle of the arena, still in his school uniform and without his sword. Holding Ebony and Ivory at the ready, I approach him. "Rex let me explain. I have no pa-"

Rex charges me, unleashing a flurry of kicks. I dodge backwards trying to create ground between us. I swing at his leg when he throws it out, but he retracts it and turns it into a snap-kick that strikes my wrist. He quickly fires at my head, and kicks me in the temple when I reflexively duck to avoid it. A faint black glow envelopes Rex's fist and I catch the punch with the blades of my scythes, but I was unprepared for how much harder it struck then his kicks.

 _He can lace his blows with Aura? Damn it. Azure was wrong; Rex holds back_ a lot _in class._

Rex growls again. "Once word of your death reach your handlers, they will understand that I am not playing around!"

Fear causes my instincts to take over again, and I start swinging my scythes on reflex, finally pushing Rex back and on the defensive. Seizing the moment, I speak out. "Rex, I am not part of the White Fang! My mother left it once it started going psycho!"

I swing Ebony downward, but he moves in, catching my wrist and halting the strike. He quickly wraps his arm around mine, and with a twist of his body, tears the weapon out of my hand. He casually tosses it to the edge of the arena, leaving me down to Ivory.

However, his eyes have lost their rage. He had started to calm down. "You hold no loyalty to them?"

"I never did."

Rex puts his gun away. "I'm sorry; the Fang are a very sore part of my life."

Jason glares down Rex. "So no more trying to murdering her?"

"Jason, it was a misunderstanding. Lay off him."

Rex looks down. "Still, I can't apologize enough. I should have controlled myself."

I smile. "Lets just agree not to do this again."

"Agreed."

 **WN: Due to the nature of this idea, I will be splitting it into two chapters.**

 **Yes, we have subspecies of Faunus. Rex is Canis lupus** **lycaon; Haley is Canis lupus albus.**

 **Aura laced strikes are a double edge sword based on what we've seen canon wise. Everyone remember what Ren did? He blew up a King Taijitu's head off, and was weak for the rest of the initiation. Not to mention, Aura is meant to be a Hunter's shield, not a sword.**

 **The disarming technique Rex used is actually known as 'snaking' in the real world art Escrima.**


	6. Y1C6 Reforged Stronger

**AN: So World of Remnant reveals Hunters are apparently mercenaries in canon. Definitely interesting. Training superpowered fighters that work well in teams? In other words, the Academies create Freelancers!**

Year 1: Reforged Stronger

Haley's POV

"Azure is never going to forgive me, is she?"

Rex shakes his head. "Give her time, she'll calm down and be your friend again."

I look at him. "It's been a week and she hasn't spoken a single word to me. I don't think she's getting over it anytime soon. Why is she so upset?"

"Azure has a hard time trusting people. When she found out that you had a Faunus parent, she felt betrayed that you would lie to her like that. The fact that she is taking this so hard is actually a testament to how close she has gotten to you. She held a similar fit when she found out what my Semblance was."

"What _is_ your Semblance?"

"It's complicated. What my Semblance does toes a lot of moral boundaries, so I try to avoid using more than its weakest limits unless I need to. As for what it is; I already told you, and you just haven't realized it."

 _Chalk another one up on the 'cryptic Rex response' board. Wait…_

"How come Azure didn't know my secret when you had figured it out?"

"Onyx, if I actually bothered to try, I could have blackmail material on pretty much everyone in our year by the tournament. When you are that good at obtaining people's deepest secrets, you learn to respect their desires to keep it secret. If it isn't my secret to tell, I won't spread it. Azure was pissed when she found out I had realized it beforehand."

"How'd you get her to talk to you again?"

"Bribery and favor-trading."

I stare at him. "More specifically?"

"I called off a couple of small favors she owed me, and then promised to make her tea and do her homework for the next two weeks," seeing the confusion on my face, he add, "don't ask, its a long story."

 _I don't think I will ever understand how those two's relationship works._

"Well, how am I able to make up with Azure if she won't even talk to me?"

Rex stays quiet for a few moments. "I have an idea. Meet me on the roof tomorrow after class lets out. Fair warning, you may need your weapons."

* * *

After the an agonizing day of school, I slowly make my way to the roof, making sure Ebony and Ivory were easily accessible. When I reach it, I see Rex meditating crosslegged while Azure is tapping her foot impatiently. When she notices me, she turns to Rex. "What the Hell is she doing here?"

Rex stands up. "For your own sake, I'm staging an intervention." He walks over to the stairway and leans on the wall. He closes his eyes. "Azure has a history of running from her problems. go talk to her."

I walk closer to Azure, but she stops me when there are still about ten feet between us. "That's close enough. I can't believe Rex wou- actually, I can. Still not happy with him."

"If you don't want to talk to me, why don't you just use your Semblance to get away?"

Azure scoffs. "Rex would track me down. He's good at that."

"He wants you to talk with me. So talk. I get your upset with me keeping my race quiet bu-"

"You think _that_ is why I'm upset? Don't get me wrong, I hate you for that, but you don't know what I've been through."

"So tell me!"

"I never knew who my parents were. As far back as I can remember, I was alone, begging and scrounging in order to eat enough to survive. About 8 years ago, I made a friend, a human boy named Tueur. He was the first person to give a crap about me, and to top it off, he was a pickpocket. _It was a criminal_ who showed me what love was while all the regular people ignored me at best. For the first time in my life, I wasn't existing, I was _alive_. I was happy for a year, until his father found out. He called me a freak for being a Faunus, and tried to 'put me out of my misery'. Azure turns her back on me and pulls on her shirt's neckline, revealing a nasty scar on her left shoulder blade. "That is what my friendship got me. You want to know why I am mad? You call yourself a Faunus when you _have no idea_ what that means! You don't know the hardships we endure because _you... are not... a Faunus_. Because of my race, I have been kicked, beaten, stabbed, and worse! Sometimes I wonder if the White Fang had the wrong idea!"

"How could you say that?"

"Because as it stands, I would fucking _love_ to see this world burn down. I'm not training to become a Huntress for the cause; I'm here because this was the best option I had! Had the White Fang survived to a few years ago, I would be part of it! They wouldn't have treated me like everyone else did!"

"Just for that, you'd side with the bastards that killed my parents?!" I clasp my mouth over my hand, horrified that I had revealed that.

Rex, who had turned to look at me when he heard that, and Azure just stare. After several minutes, Azure finally breaks the silence. "Your parents... w-what? W-when? H-How?"

I sigh. "Two years ago... they signed up to clear a Beowolf den. Nothing major, one of them could do it alone without breaking a sweat. When they didn't come back, A team was sent to find out what happened. The mission was mislabeled. It was Deathstalker nest; a trap designed to kill trained Hunters. They managed to recover my parents bodies and weapons. The guns were jammed and the close range stuff was covered in blood, but only some of it was Grimm. The thing is, they found a broken piece of a White Fang mask clutched in my mom's hand. I know they were responsible; they don't let defectors walk away. I didn't want to say anything because they may be looking for me as well... I must sound crazy."

Azure and Rex look at each other. Azure nods and Rex starts to speak. "We believe you. We know there are remnants of the Fang still in existence, although they have lost huge amounts of their strength. The two of us are probably somewhere on their kill list as well."

 _They believe me? I mean Rex obviously, but Azure?_

"If you know the White Fang still exists, Azure, why aren't you part of it?"

Azure scoffs. "The remnants are no better than common thugs, not the real Fang. They've given me Hell just like the rest. It was Rex who made me start trying to believe in people again. His enemies are mine, and you can be fucking sure the Fang are his."

"I know he hates them, but why?"

Rex looks away. "They took her... my efforts to get her back haven't exactly gone unnoticed."

 _His sister..._

Rex continues. "...But that's why these schools exist. To create Hunters who can protect the people, against any threat in any form."

I turn to Azure. "You're wrong on one thing, though. I do understand discrimination. Both sides hate me because I _am_ both. I couldn't trust either Faunus or Human. Due to how often I had to give in to my instincts to protect myself, I don't really have control over them anymore. I keep my race quiet because I thought you would hate me when you found out.

Azure nods and pulls out a dagger. "I kinda did. Let's swear it. When we are Hunters, we will fight to end these injustices. We will bring equality to everyone. We will punish the White Fang for their transgressions, for those they have and will hurt. Together."

Rex draws his gun and connects it to the blade. "Together."

 _My friends are crazy, but..._ I place Ivory on their weapons and nod. "Together."

 **Wn: With that, CPF's first prompt is over. Anyone getting Romance of the Three Kingdoms vibes from this? No, just me?**

 **Rex's explanation of his Semblance is cryptic and uninformative because he hates lying, but doesn't want to reveal it. If you noticed, he technically _did_ tell everyone what it was during his match with Jason.**

 **Azure wasn't lying when she said she would have joined the WF. Her pre-DRAB concept had her originally a member of the WF, only to defect when her partner left her for dead and the Hunters took her into custody and got her medical attention.**


	7. Y1C7 Invincible vs Unstoppable

**AN: Lessons Learned was very sweet, but Qrow managed to sneak one dark line in that has me worried.**

 **Also, I checked the stats on this story. It already has reached the amount of views as Streets of Vale. Apparently the trick was bringing Sun in the first chapter and to promise Pyrrha. If you have been waiting for it, here it is.**

 **Disclaimer: Song used is** **My Pride** **by Skitz the Samurida**

Year 1: Invincible Vs Unstoppable

Rex's POV

 _It's time._

Sparring class is next, and I am looking forward to being able to fight the champion of the Mistral Tournament.

The professor greets the class, followed by asking for volunteers. I immediately raise my hand. "I would like to challenge Nikos to battle."

While challenges were not _technically_ allowed, if the other consents, it is treated as if they volunteered as well.

Nikos doesn't often fight unless the randomizer calls her, so she is put on the spot. She could choose to fight me, opening a precedent for people to challenge her in an attempt to take her title from her, or refuse and look afraid.

Respectfully enough, she nods and consents, so both of us prepare. Once we are on the sparring ground, the Professor gives his usual restrictions and victory conditions.

* * *

(Yeah) My Pride, you can't stop it  
My weapons, you can't handle it  
(Yeah) My Pride, no stoppin it  
My weapons (I like this), that's right

In a world of hate with a twist of fate  
Survival comes down to the moves you make  
Filled with waste it's chaos based  
Won't stop till this evil erased  
On a mission with murderous tendencies  
All I do is annihilate enemies  
Ain't nothing left in the world for me  
So I gotta take pride in my weaponry  
All I got is raw hostility  
I'm all alone no liability  
Now see in the mind of a killer  
See for yourself nothing more realer  
No fear of death living like a warrior  
You can bet that I'm coming for ya  
And there ain't no reason to hide  
You thank me when I end your life

* * *

Once the signal is given, both of us start circling, her weapon in spear form. _The problem when two defensively styled fighters compete is there is a large amount of waiting involved._

Testing the waters, I fire a round at her, which she blocks with her shield. I move forward and swing at her legs. she backs up, quickly shifting her weapon into a sword and intercepting my next swing.

I swing Invention in line to fire again, but she quickly leans out of the path of my bullet and uses her shield to deflect Necessity's follow up. She swings her sword, but I read it and back step, launching a kick which she barely manages to avoid.

 _She's definitely earned her title as the invincible girl. I still can't touch her. To be fair, she hasn't landed a hit either._

Switching her weapon to spear form again, she thrusts at me. I deflect the strikes with the flat side of Necessity.

"Is that all you have Nikos? At this rate, Breech's record is going to be safe."

Ducking under her next thrust, I sweep my leg out and manage to connect, but she was ready and doesn't lose her footing.

* * *

My pride I hold in my hands  
Demise is yours when I flash  
I can't deny it there's no stopping  
Me stomping on my war path  
I'm slicing more than a gash  
You feeling lucky we clash  
I can't deny it there's no stopping  
Me stomping on my war path

Now it's no doubt that my weapons  
Mean the most to me no question  
And in this day and age they the  
Only things I got that's blessings  
I keep 'em close they so lethal  
As I prove to you there's no equal  
Your life ends here with no sequel  
Not a bone in my body that's peaceful  
All I do is inflict damage  
Take it to the point that you can't manage  
Naw you can't stand it  
Getting manhandled by this true savage  
Yeah something like a body breaker  
That's right born and bred as a life taker  
I see it in your eyes  
You feel honored when you die

* * *

We back away from each other, and I use the chance to swap Invention's clip with one with frost-Dust. I fire low, and when she dodges, a thin layer of ice forms. I continue firing, causing the patch to grow and new ones to form. I give up the pretense of trying to hit her, and fire the rest of the clip into the ground. I quickly reload and continue the process, although Nikos had caught on and started to use her rifle to make it harder for me to put my plan into action.

With my second frost clip empty, the sparring ground was pockmarked with patches of ice. _Let's see just_ _well she can do with treacherous footing._

I quickly move close to the center of the ice fields. Nikos remained on the edge, her weapon still in rifle form and resting on her shield for support. "Are you scared? I'll be happy to trade bullets if you don't want to get close."

Nikos took the bait, and moved hesitantly towards me. With the ice around us, dodging would be much harder.

We start swinging our blades, and soon they lock together. I take the moment to kick her, but that little trick of mine has become common knowledge, and she twists her body away from the impact.

( _I have to use my Semblance._ )

 _So, you've been holding back Nikos? Lets see what your Semblance says about you._

I lunge with Necessity, and she deflects it with her shield. However, I pick up a strange thought from her mind, and Necessity is shoved further out of line then what it normally should. I quickly bring Invention up to fire at her chest, only for the same thought to occur in her mind, and my shot is out of line and barely misses her.

 _What is she doing?_

I strike at her again, and this time her deflection manages to break my grip on Necessity. I quickly bring Invention into line to fire again, but she strikes my hand with her shield and again I sense the strange thought and once more my weapon is ripped from my hands. A growl escapes me.

 _You REALLY shouldn't have done that._

* * *

My pride I hold in my hands  
Demise is yours when I flash  
I can't deny it there's no stopping  
Me stomping on my war path  
I'm slicing more than a gash  
You feeling lucky we clash  
I can't deny it there's no stopping  
Me stomping on my war path

This cold world leaving me one option  
Slaughtering my foes non stopping  
Now I'm taking the pleasure in chopping  
Bottom line your life's what it's costing  
My full arsenal is what I'm unleashing  
Like a war god I'm taking out demons  
I'm beasting while your body's leaking  
Loving the feeling  
When your soul stops breathing  
On a mission dishing out death service  
If you see me coming goin get nervous  
If you ask me your life's worthless  
Perish at my feet gives your life purpose  
The joy is mine to break your spine  
And it may seem like I lost my mind  
To me a killing spree that ain't a crime  
I'm smashing decapitating all the time

* * *

I launch several kicks, and Nikos moved back to avoid them, only barely stopping before stepping on an ice patch.

" _Nowhere to run._ "

I throw a punch and she takes it with her shield. However, I hear a crack, and something in my hand gives. _Fuck!_

I sense my Aura flowing to my hand in an attempt to repair the damage, but instead of allowing it to, I focus it, a familiar black glow appearing over my fists. I start swinging again, but now her shield is pushed back from my strikes. I launch a punch at her face, and she blocks it, putting her shield in front of her line of sight. I channel my Aura into my leg, and launch a hook kick into her ribs.

She starts using her sword, and I start taking hits. I catch her blade with my forearm and punch her in the gut, sending her sliding back, her stance breaking once she hits the ice. I move forward, but the professor calls the match. I look at the board, and Nikos is at half-Aura, but I had hit the red.

"I can still fight!"

"Rex, stand down, your Aura is too low to keep going."

Snarling I turn back to Nikos, intent on continuing, but all of a sudden I feel a blow to the back of my neck and everything goes dark.

* * *

My pride I hold in my hands  
Demise is yours when I flash  
I can't deny it there's no stopping  
Me stomping on my war path  
I'm slicing more than a gash  
You feeling lucky we clash  
I can't deny it there's no stopping  
Me stomping on my war path

Hahahaha, you'll never stop me, (that's right)  
You can try but you won't (it's over man)  
Eventually you always gonna meet yo death  
(yeah) yeah  
Hahahaha

* * *

I wake up in the medical wing, Azure sitting at my side. "What happened?"

She looks upset. "Teach knocked your lights out in one strike, that's what fucking happened. Nurse says you have a broken bone in your hand and another got fractured, so your left hand will be in a cast for a while, and you can't participate in combat classes until it heals... and you have a week's worth of detention for disobeying a direct command."

"So nothing serious?"

"Really?"

"When can I leave?"

"Tomorrow morning."

 **WN: Seriously, Pyrrah is stated to be undefeated in cannon, of course she won.**

 **The 'record' Rex was talking about was who could get his Aura level the lowest in a fight. Prior to this fight, Jason held it at 34% (A combination of personal growth and learning Rex's fighting style), Haley taking second.**

 **I was vague on explaining what Pyrrah was thinking when using her Semblance because Semblances don't translate well into words, its more of a feeling. However, Rex is smart enough that once he calms down, he will piece it together.**

 **Rex got reckless at the end because he lost his temper. It has a lot to do with what his weapons stand for, which is the reasoning behind the song choice this chapter. We also see the downside of Aura strikes, as it costs your own Aura to enhance the power of your blows.**

 **The next chapter will be the end of Year 1.**


	8. Y1C8 Tested

**AN: I sincerely apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out, all my Professors decided that it would appropriate to make their finals** ** _papers_** **. It really crushed my muse for a bit. Ironic considering the chapter's subject... This is just hilarious timing. This was planned in** ** _summer_** **and it still managed to match up.**

Year 1: Tested

Azure's POV

"UGH!" I drop onto my bed after another annoying final.

 _I just want to sleep._

( _We have Professor Sky's final in three days. You can't afford to._ )

 _Not in the mood to do this Rex. Talk to me like someone NORMAL, or shut the Hell up with the commentary._

He goes silent, and I question whether or not he actually gave up until I hear him knocking on the door.

I open it and he walks in. "You do realize if you don't get a good grade on this one, you'll fail the course?"

"Like I fucking care."

"Try to. If you don't pass all the classes, you won't graduate."

I snort. "I don't particularly _want_ to be a Huntress, remember? If I take an extra year or two, I don't give a damn."

Rex raises his hands in exaggerated surrender. "Fine, I tried to help." He walks out the door, stating "You probably wouldn't pass if you tried anyways."

 _What?_

"Hold it right there Rex. I could pass this test no problem. Hell, I can _ace_ it!"

"Care to make a wager?"

"I bet I can ace this final without your help. If I win, you will act as my butler for the entire summer break!"

"And if I win... well, you won't enjoy what I have planned." Images of Rex's punishment filter through my head and I shudder.

"All the more incentive to win."

Rex closes the door and I open up my text book.

( _Revelation in 3...2...1..._ )

 _HE FUCKING TRICKED ME!_

* * *

"I can't believe you managed to be this far behind on the material, Azure."

"Sorry, Haley. I guess that growing up _on the streets_ shouldn't have interfered with a formal education." The two of us were using the library in attempt to study.

"I already agreed to help you, so that really isn't helping with the matter."

"Sorry. Its just... I have no prior schooling, and I'm lucky to be literate. Science is something I have no idea of."

"Look it's simple. All you need to know here is..."

She helps me with the material for an hour, although the progress is frustratingly slow.

I sigh. "I am never going to pass this test."

"You never really cared about the tests before. What's so special about this one?"

"I made a stupid bet with Rex. We take our word very seriously."

Before Haley can reply, Artic walks up to us. "Well, hello Azu-"

"Fuck off."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

I rest my head in my hand. "Given your track record, it was either a flirt, or asking me out. Either case, the answer is _no_. So, I repeat; Get the fuck away from us."

As he walks away I mutter, "He does remember I held weapons to his throat when we first met, right?"

"Some people are into power like that."

"That just makes for an unhealthy relationship. From me, that it saying something."

Haley chuckles. "So, you want to keep going on the test?"

"Nah, its time for lunch. I can pick up afterwards."

* * *

When we get our food, Rex and Jason were already at our table, arguing as usual. I chuckle. "Rex must be having a good day, he hasn't punched you yet."

Jason rolls his eyes. "At this point, I feel like punching him." However, they have settled down.

The faintest hint of a smile appears on Rex's face. "And we all know how that would turn out. So Azure, Haley; how is the studying going?"

Haley is about to reply when we all realize what Rex said. She turns to look at me. "Did he just... call me _Haley_?"

"I think so. Are we certain this is Rex?"

Rex shakes his head. "That _is_ your name."

The rest of us just exchange glances at each other. _What parallel world have we stumbled into?_

Jason is the first to respond. "Its just... you always call everyone besides Azure by their last names."

"Shut up, Breech."

 _And like that, order has returned to the world._

( _Not funny Azure._ )

 _No, seriously, what made you start using Haley instead of Onyx?_

Rex stands up and starts walking away. "I think we're done here."

* * *

 _I give up. I am not going to pass this test the proper way. So, time to go back to my roots._

I am walking through the halls late at night, heading towards Professor Sky's office. _I just need to wait till I know she isn't there, and I can get a copy of the test.  
_

As luck would have it, I see her leaving the room before heading off. _Thank you, luck._

The door is locked, but that doesn't really matter to someone like me. I simply Shift to the other side of the door. _So much more fun then picking locks._

I head onto the computer and pull up the final. _All I need to do now is sync this to my scroll and I have an easy A._

I take out my scroll, but when I go to hit the sync, my finger pauses. _Why_ _am I hesitating? This is what I came here for._

 _..._

 _Do I feel... guilty?_

 _..._

 _What the hell is wrong with me? I'm supposed to be a Huntress, yet here I am cheating to win a_ bet _with Rex_ _. I can't believe how pathetic I am.  
_

I walk away from the computer. _I am going to play this right._

Once I leave the room, I turn around to see the Headmaster standing in front of me.

"Hello Miss Raptor, a lovely evening, isn't it?"

"...Yes it is."

"A shame to spend it all looking through a teacher's files."

I sigh. "Just tell me how much trouble I'm in."

"None at all."

 _What?_

"We've been expecting this since day one, Miss Raptor. We didn't expect it would take the entire year untill you pull this kind of thing, and you manage to avoid actually committing the crime. So no punishment is needed."

"You have to be kidding me."

"Those of us in the know about _you_ have been watching to see if you would regress to your... less than desirable habits. Minus a few slip-ups early on, which we attributed to adjustment, you've been a decent student. Miss Raptor, you are a brilliant individual with a bright future. You have a sense of pride and determination. You set goals for yourself, and when you meet them, you pick harder ones. If you invest that energy into being a Huntress, I have no doubt you'd become a legend for the next generation. That is why you were given this second chance. Make the most of it." He walks off.

 _Make the most of it..._ I smile. _I guess I don't have a choice in the matter._

* * *

Rex and I see Haley off as she leaves school.

"Now, lets talk about your punishment."

"What the Hell, Rex? I got an 87 on the final. I passed with flying colors." _I studied half the night to earn that._

"The bet was that you'd _ace_ the test. 87 is close, but not acing."

"That's a fucking loophole and you know it!"

 **WN: And we end Year 1 of Sanctum Soldier. Double meaning title FTW.**

 **All I want to say is pay attention to what Rex calls people. It reveals a lot more than you'd expect.**

 **I won't have the next chapter up until sometime in January. Family Vacation.**

 **However, another surprise for you all.**

* * *

? view.

I am sitting at my desk when I get a message alert. I open it up.

 _Dear brother,_

 _I am happy to say that Azure has passed your test. She has matured greatly over this last year._

 _Love,_

 _Neath_

I smile.


	9. Y2C1: New Year, Same Games

**AN: New** **Year IRL, New year in the fiction.**

 **This is later than I planned, but my laptop f*cked itself with the latest update.**

 **On the other hand, I have some bigger plans in the future for Dressed in DRAB. Also I think I have a personal cheerleader in CPF12 who's been checking up on me to make sure everything's okay.**

 ** _Brain: I think I've found myself a cheerleader/ She is always right there when I need her_.**

 **Don't even like that song and its stuck in my head. F*CK!**

Year 2: New Year, Same Games.

Haley's POV

I walk into Sanctum, grateful for the vacation from school. _Getting to spend time with..._ Blushing, I shake off that line of thought.

 _We don't have classes till tomorrow, so I may as well find everybody and hang out with them._ I pull out my scroll and message Azure, asking where she was. I quickly receive her response saying she was in the sparring room with the guys. I smirk at the unstated fact Rex and Jason were likely already fighting with each other.

I quickly head over to the sparing room and, seeing the fight in progress, go to the stands to watch. Azure simply appears right next to me. "you got inked over the break? It looks impressive."

I rub my exposed left arm, brushing my fingers over the intertwined dragons running down it and onto my hand. "Thanks." Watching Rex and Jason's weapons clash, I ask, "So how long have they been brawling?"

"About ten minutes. Rex won it in five."

"Jason seems to be fighting rather well for someone who lost already."

"Watch for the pattern." Every time one of them attacks, Azure starts to count, restarting after reaching five. Taking the hint, I start paying closer attention. After a few sets, I notice that when Azure hits five, Rex is always the one who strikes.

My eyes widen. "How did you see that? I would of missed it."

"I learned that life has a rhythm, so I started looking for patterns. Saved my ass a few times. Jason hasn't realized it, but he is letting Rex lead him through the steps. Rex could have ended this fight a while ago, but he choose not to. I've been trying to figure out why."

"Doesn't Rex like fighting? He may be flaunting his advantage over Jason."

Azure shakes her head. "Rex told me ' _if you have been fighting long enough that someone places a bet, you took too long.'_ " She quotes Rex nearly pitch-perfect.

I chuckle at the thought. She continues, "Once Rex has the chance to win, he normally takes it. He thinks dragging it out simply leads to more chances of your opponent taking you by surprise. Unless..." She starts to ponder. "...Victory isn't his goal here."

"Then what is?" I turn back to the fight, Where Jason and Rex had locked blades and staring each other down. All of a sudden, _Jason_ throws a kick into Rex's gut and he bends over in response.

Jason raises his arm to finally beat Rex, only for Rex to come back up with a gleam in his eyes, not bothered in the slightest by the kick. He quickly uses his free hand to grab Jason by the collar and swings his pommel into Jason's face. As Jason reels, Rex sweeps him and Jason soon has a sword point at his neck.

Rex calmly announces, "It's over, Breech." He slowly places his sword back into its sheath and turns to see me and Azure joining them. He raises his hand in acknowledgement before getting Jason off the ground.

Jason walks off grumbling and I barely hear Rex mutter, "Every time. Is it really that hard to stop for five seconds and talk?" His eyes focus on my left arm. "Nice tattoo. I take it that the dragons are a family thing?"

"Sort of. I wanted to get something to remember my parents, so I went with dragons."

Azure shakes her head. "I wouldn't have recommended putting it on your hand though. Its nearly impossible to hide there."

"Why would I hide it?"

"Getting recognized by the wrong people can be fatal. It nearly was for me." Azure starts to stare off into space while her hand starts sliding over to her daggers.

 _Looks like some bad memories. I wish she would explain what was wrong._ Rex places a hand on her shoulder and gently pushes, snapping her out of her reminiscing.

"Sorry about that. Rex and I were going to check out the new blood later on. Wanna join in?"

"I don't exactly have anything else planned, so I guess I will."

* * *

"So Azure, how exactly does this work?"

"Basically, you simply people watch and look for people who look or just feel like they're not fitting in."

"That's it?"

Rex nods. "Its how we noticed you and Breech. We probably wouldn't have gotten involved with either of you if you didn't stand out as different."

 _In a weird way, that's kind of flattering._

Azure subtly points at someone. "Him." I take a closer look. He appears to a reptilian Faunus, judging by the patch of scales covering his hands, and was carrying an ax as big as he was across his back. "Despite the weight of his weapon, his steps are light; his eyes never stop moving, always watching."

Rex shakes his head. "There's no hardness to his features. He was trained by an Hunter. He's probably never needed to _use_ it."

 _He can tell that from a glance?_

Suddenly, Rex stands up and starts to walk away. I call out, "What's wrong?"

Without stopping he states, "Going to tear an asshole a new one. Azure, you may need to get my bail ready."

"He's joking, right?"

"With Rex, its hard to tell..."

* * *

Rex's POV

I casually walk towards the crowd of first years gathering in front of Boarius. He's repeating the same lines from last year. I draw Necessity with a flourish and stand behind him.

Seeing the eyes of his targets move towards me, he turns around and quickly has my saber pressed to his throat.

"You don't learn, do you? Leave, or I draw blood." Boarius starts to bring his hand to the sword at his waist, only to stop when the pressure on his neck increases. Deciding not to test my threat, he moves off.

I rub my own neck, having felt a strange pressure there near the end, before turning to see the new students looking at me with gratitude and adoration. _That won't do at all._

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves." Shock rolls through the gathered students. "You are supposed to be training to become Huntsman and Huntresses, and the group of you couldn't deal with a _single_ bully? We are warriors, you can't afford to be coddled. You all get one. If you can't stand on your own feet, I sure as Hell won't help you back up."

The freshmen are appropriately chastised, and most look down in shame. However, a few stare at me with defiant anger in their eyes. I turn around. "Some of you have already realized the lesson." I walk away.

 _Will is what calls forth our souls, what makes a Hunter powerful. The timid either need grow a spine or leave so they won't end up Grimm food._

* * *

Haley's POV

Azure brushes off Rex's abrupt departure and we get back to watching the new arrivals. I look around, and I noticed my gaze keep returning to a odd girl. Her eyes were covered by a white cloth wrapped around her head, but she walked with confidence. I signal Azure.

She nods. "I have seen blind fighters before. They usually have a Semblance that replaces our dependency on sight in a brawl. Probably enhanced hearing or something along the lines. Still, people underestimate them because they seem helpless. Good catch."

I turn back, only to notice the blinded student approaching us. _She couldn't have heard us, could she?_

She stops in front of us. Azure places a her face in her palm. "Keep moving, Missy. Not your friends here."

The girl turns her head to face Azure before gasping. She takes a large step back. "I understand now why I came here."

 _Excuse me?_ Azure clearly shares a similar sentiment.

"So few have a part in fate like you... but you two have an much-more open ended future. Will you play the part assigned to you, or will you compose your own future, Azure? Haley?"

 _She had no reason to know that!_

Azure is similarly shaken. "Get the Hell away from me!" She draws a dagger and the girl walks away. "What the fuck is she?"

"I have no idea. I think I was too right on that one."

 **WN: Fun-times rejoice! Terra's addition to the Phoenix-verse timeline gives me so much enjoyment!**

 **The Rex/Jason rivalry is still going strong. Suck it, Blu- er, Breech!**

 **Rex is a very dickish helper. Prefers to trick people into helping themselves.**

 **The mysterious blind girl is Ora, who is actually based off the Oracle of Delphi. Do I really need to explain her Semblance?**

 **Originally this last bit was merely going to be implied at later points, but... I had a idea that requires it.**

* * *

? POV

 _I'm still not strong enough._

I pull out my scroll and start messing around. I manage to infiltrate the student records and pull one file in particular.

 _If I get caught, it won't be good, but I need to know why he is so strong..._


	10. Y2C2: Talks and Spars

**AN: F*CK YOU KERRY AND MILES! I HAVE THREE SHIPS! DON'T GIVE ME ONE AND TAKE IT AWAY IN THE** ** _SAME MOTHERF*CKING EPISODE!_**

 **Sorry about that. Needed to get my anger out somehow.**

 **Part of this chapter was prompted by CPF12, but I also mixed in some consequences of the last chapter.**

Year 2: Talks and Spars

Jason's POV:

 _Azure is starting to worry me._

Ever since school started, Azure has been quiet. She doesn't boast or snark, and she barely even speaks anymore. A week later, and we're eating lunch, and she's just sitting there at the table.

Its starting to affect us too. I can tell that Haley is worried and tries to prod Azure into responding, to no avail. Rex somehow managed to become _more_ moody than he normally is and keeps glancing over to her. As for me...

 _ **Past emotional trauma presumed**_ **.**

All I can do is feel guilty at invading her privacy like that. Eventually Azure gets up and walks away, with the three of us exchanging glances.

Rex speaks up. "She's heading to the roof." Just like that. Not a guess, a simple statement of fact.

Haley gets up. "I'm planning on getting some close quarters training in. You in, Jason?"

"Might as well."

I get up and Haley learns over and mutters to Rex. "Please do something; you're probably the only one she'll listen to like this." He simply nods.

* * *

Haley's POV

I set up a timer for our spar. _5 minutes should be enough_ _time._

"So Haley, any particular reason for this training session?"

 _I need to get my mind off of Azure and onto something more constructive._

However, I put a smile and lie. "After seeing Phyrra struggle when fighting unarmed opponents, I started practicing my own hand to hand combat. I don't plan on losing to her in the tournament this year."

"So why did you ask me over... nevermind. No weapons?"

I shift into a ready stance. "Just our fists. Are you prepared?"

His response is to charge forward. He punches, prompting me to slip to the side. I follow through with a hook to his ribs. I start throwing punches, forcing him to back up to get out of my range. Suddenly, he moves in fast, slamming his shoulder into my chest.

The impact sends me staggering, but I duck underneath his follow up. A quick jab to his gut makes him back off. I feel a dull ache with every breath, and I realize that I can't afford to let him try that trick again.

I launch a kick towards his knee, but he moves back to dodge it. However, I make no attempt to use the momentum to my advantage. _Come on. Attack me._

Thankfully, he fell for my bait and threw a jab at my head. My hand clasps his wrist, and I pull. Because he was unprepared, his body followed the arm and he ran into my shoulder. Shifting my weight, I use his broken balance to flip him to the ground. I attempt to strike him while he is on the ground, but he rolls away and quickly returns to his feet.

He rolls his shoulders, and I see him slightly wince in pain when he tests the right one. _He landed badly. Time to take advantage of that._

I move in, and make a point of keeping to his right side. Every time he turns to get his uninjured side facing me, I circle further. I strike at his shoulder, but he twists away at the last second.

 _Wait, his good shoulder is poin- Damn it!_ He goes for another shoulder charge and I practically leap out of the way to avoid it. I hook him in the ribs again, but I receive a punch t the temple in return.

I shake my head to clear it and barely catch Jason's punch. He breaks my grip and throws a hook to my head. I grab his arm and attempt to throw him again. He goes with the throw, catching himself on the landing and lashing his foot out to prevent me from moving in.

As soon as he recovers his footing, we charge each other, only for the timer to sound out. We stop, my fist cocked to throw another punch. I laugh. "That was great. Is your shoulder going to be okay?"

He rolls it again. "I think so. It'll be sore tomorrow, but nothing serious. Next time, we're not using a timer. I want to see who's better."

"I look forward to it."

I hear my scroll ring. I pick it up and answer. Rex's voice comes through. " _I'm sorry. It didn't work._ "

* * *

Rex's POV

Azure's mind has become... interesting lately. The closest equivalent would be multiple rivers feeding into a whirlpool.

 _Her thoughts are so disjointed and mixed up_ _I can't read her._

"A Lien for your thoughts?"

"Rex, do you believe in fate?"

I pause. "Care to elaborate?"

Azure stares out at the horizon. "There was some girl. She knew who me and Haley were without hearing our names or even seeing us. Said we 'have a part in fate' of some nature."

"So you met a weirdo who knew more than they should. I specialize in doing that. It doesn't mean anything."

The thing is, is she right? Is my life just some cosmic tool? Abandoned from the beginning, betrayed again and again, getting caught and joining the Hunters-"

" _Fuck_ fate."

She quickly turns to face me. I continue. "We make our own choices. I refuse to accept some predestination _bullshit_. I have my goal- save Morgana and make her kidnappers suffer- and I will tell you this. If destiny says I fail, I will ignore fate and pull it off anyways."

"I don't feel like I belong here."

( _Azure, you managed to claw your way up from nothing to the most wanted list in two Kingdoms. You utterly humiliated a top class Huntsman with a plan you made on the fly. The Hunters **wanted** you to join them.)  
_

Switching back to spoken words, I press on. "You've earned the right to be here by being yourself. No fate, just you."

Azure uses her Semblance and disappears. I can pick up her mind coming from her room, but her distress has only increased. _What did I say?_

I pull out my scroll. "I'm sorry. It didn't work."

 **WN: I'm sorry for taking so long on this. Volume 3's ending hurt a lot and I didn't want to deal with dramatic writing...That and I made the mistake of entering the Abyss that is the Infinite Loops. I even started writing for the RWBY branch of Yggdrasil. If you see a snip authored by YangfromYin, That's me.**

 **If the roof scene reminds you of a certain Jaune/Phyrra conversation, blame volume three sniping me. Including that specific conversation, four ideas I had (not all of it for Dressed in DRAB) ended up occurring in canon. I mean, I get the f*cking Dragon (thats a cliche) but seriously, _Adam slicing a lead character's arm off? HOW?! ..._ Mini rant over.  
**

 **Haley brought up the Mistral Regional tournament. While I won't actually write the tournaments themselves, Haley will be competing in all four and it will occasionally be influencing the story. Haley ended up losing to Phyrra in the quarter-finals in the first year.**

 **With Azure's actions this chapter, I will hint this. Azure's greatest talent is deception. It will come to a head in a few chapters.  
**

* * *

Rex's POV

I have wandered into town on business. Opening the door to a club, I greet the person manning the bar. "Did my package come in?"

He reaches down and places a box on the bar. I open it up and look inside.

 _Well, Nikos, let us see how you handle round 2._


	11. Y2C3: Rematch

**AN: So I got another shoutout from the Commander on Legion 205's Podcast. I love the insanity in it, mainly because that's a slow Tuesday for one of my friends.**

 **However, SOMEONE (not naming names) called the Dressed in DRAB works a spin-off.**

 **My live reaction to this: IT IS NOT! A SPINOFF HAS NO CANON INFLUENCE ON THE ORIGINAL! THIS DOES! IT IS A COMPANION PIECE! CONNECTED BUT SEPARATE! I WORK WITH THE COMMANDER TO MAKE THIS FIT! *Precedes to flip off the computer screen* ...Wait, he can't see that.**

 ***looking at what I just wrote.* If this ends up in the Podcast... *laughing fit***

 **Anyway, onto the story.**

Haley's POV

 _How did Rex make it **worse**? _ For the last week, Azure has been actively avoiding us, to the point of using her Semblance if we get too close. Her attendance in class has also slipped. Me, Jason, and Rex have all been attempting to explain away her absences, but its clear the teachers are getting upset about it.

As it stands, Jason and I are using our free period to spar again. This time, we're more focused on training then fighting each other. There are about a dozen students also training here, including Pyrrha. A few people are watching her train.

All of a sudden, Rex burst into the training room "Nikos, I'm challenging you to a fight; here and now!"

 _Wait, where are his weapons?_

He charges straight at Pyrrha and she barely manages to get her shield up in order to protect herself. Everyone is stunned by Rex's rashness. _He's willing to attack Pyrrha out of the blue like this_?

Pyrrha manages to put some distance between Rex and herself. "Don't you need to get your weapons?"

Rex gives an unnerving smile. "I see no purpose in bringing weapons I do not intend to use to defeat you. All I need are my fists!" He enters a combat stance, allowing me to see he's wearing a pair of black gloves over his hands.

I turn over to Jason, and he's fiddling with his scroll. "What are you doing?"

"One sec... Done!" He looks up and shows me his scroll. "I tapped into Pyrrha and Rex's Scroll so we can see their aura meters. Someone has to be responsible and pull them off each other when they hit the red." He then taps a few more buttons. "There." My scroll vibrates, and I see the Jason's program showing up on mine.

 _I guess that it is just going to happen then._

Pyrrha switches her weapon to gun form and fires a bullet at Rex. He twists out of its path before running straight towards her. Pyrrha raises her shield to block his punch. He quickly launches a snap-kick into her ribs. Her weapon back in sword form, she swipes at his chest.

Rex ducks under the sword, going for a sweep kick. Pyrrha dances back to dodge. Rex speaks with a malicious edge. "What's wrong Pyrrha? Your little _skill_ not helping you?"

Pyrrha swings downward at Rex's head. He raises one hand and catches it. "Got to love these gloves." His free hand glows black and he punches Pyrrha in the gut, sending her sliding back.

He charges forward and ducks under her arm. He reaches out as he passes, catching her wrist and using his forearm to apply pressure to her elbow. Pyrrha raises her other arm to her shoulder from the pain. He mutters something I couldn't hear, but Pyrrha goes pale at hearing it. He breaks his own hold and slams his foot into her back. She gets her distance and starts firing at him. He uses his gloved palms to block the shots. However, his aura is still draining from each shot.

Rex starts to smile and runs forward. He has her on the ropes and he knows it.

Pyrrha swings her shield around at Rex's head. _That's the move that took me out in the tournament._

Rex makes an attempt to stop and avoid the strike but it still clips him hard, sending him sprawling out on the floor. He gets back up, but he looks dizzy and he stumbles instead of holding his stance.

 _Wait a second._ I see Rex's eyes, but they are clearly focused on Pyrrha and they look like... he's _amused_?

Pyrrha charges Rex and swings her sword at him. Rex backs up in order to dodge it, but it's clumsy and he's barely standing up.

He throws a punch at Pyrrha, but it goes wide. In an attempt to dodge her next strike, he slips and falls to the floor. Pyrrha places her sword over Rex "I win."

Rex gets his arms under himself and pushes off the ground. He walks away rubbing his forehead. Pyrrha seems disappointed and walks out herself. Jason and I look at each other.

Jason is just as confused as I was. "As much as I'm glad someone took Rex down a peg, something's off about the fight."

I agree, but I can't figure out what just occurred.

* * *

Rex's POV

I go to my locker and grab Necessity and Invention before slipping them back into their rightful places.

"Why did you throw the match?"

 _And Nikos appears._ "I was worried for a second that you missed it."

"That doesn't answer my question."

I turn to face her. She looked upset, which filled me with a dark satisfaction. "Simply put, it was the best outcome. After you beat me the first time, I started paying attention. I saw your Semblance and pieced it together." I raise my hands, showing off my gloves. "That is why I fought with these instead of a weapon. You can't use your little talent when I don't bring metal to fight you."

Now Nikos is angry. "That doesn't explain why you threw the fight!"

"I was getting to that. I watched you to figure out how to beat you. However, I started to notice that people were treating you differently. Because of your title, people saw you as an idol, not a person. It hurt you to be separated from everyone else. That's when I realized that, deep down, you want someone to surpass you. If someone defeats you at your peak, you won't be the Invincible Girl; you'll be just another student."

As I speak her emotions switch to anger to outrage to shock, ending in a self-reflective tranquility. I press on. "I wanted to hurt you, but if I won, you would benefit as well. That is why I decided to have you win after making it clear to you that you _shouldn't_ have. Now you still are the Invincible Girl, still the champion of Mistral, but you know just how empty those titles are."

"What did I do that made you this mad?"

I draw Necessity and Invention. "These are all I have left of my family. You do not _fuck_ with my weapons. You're lucky you did it in ignorance. I would have been much less _merciful._ "

With that I wandered off, leaving her behind to contemplate my words.

 **WN: Yeah, thats a thing.**

 **I am just going to say this. Rex did this because Pyrrha accidently hit an emotional wound. He went overboard, becuase he's still a teenager.**

 **I finally got the gloves in! In Phoenix Rose's Orientation and Reunion, the Commander actually hinted at their existence when he mentions the dust gloves. While in-universe, they have no name, I occasionally refer to them as the Memento Mori. They are made of borbatusk hide, so they can take some abuse.  
**

 **I loved how trollish I made Jason in this. He was probably wishing for popcorn.**

* * *

Azure's POV

 _"Dagger, I am not playing to your vanity, I actually do respect your capabilities."_

 _"Miss Raptor, your heart is in the right place. That concern for others is a sign of a true Huntress."_

 _"If you invest that energy into being a Huntress, I have no doubt you'd become a legend for the next generation. That is why you were given this second chance. Make the most of it."_

 _I don't belong here. Everyone... I'm sorry._

"Goodbye." With tears rolling down my face, I walk out the gates of Sanctum and disappear into the night.


	12. Y2C4: Not Alone

**AN: Please read the end note, a BIG disclaimer is there. Probably earns the story's M rating there.  
**

 **You guys may have noticed the story picture changed. ColdPlayFan12 decided to draw a pic of Haley and Azure together and I loved it enough to make it the cover. This is actually the second draft they gave me, the original (which I didn't use because of reasons) is currently on their profile and is awesome.**

 **Music: Doujah Raze-** ** _Find You_**

Year 2: Not Alone

* * *

The things that you conceal/They can't hide you  
The things that you reveal/They can't guide you  
What you thought was real/Is just a lie too  
If you can't find the truth/The truth will find you  
The things that you detest/Are deep inside you  
The things that you possess/They only ride you  
The words that you confess/Are just a lie too  
If you can't find the truth/The truth will find you

* * *

Jason's POV

 _What the... did I forgot to turn my scroll off last night?_ A message in the middle of the night is not one of my favorite wake-up calls.

 _Well, since I'm up..._ I grab my scroll. It's still half an hour until sunrise. _Who's messaging me this ea... I know for a fact I never gave Rex my number. What the Hell does he want?_

 _'Breech, come to Azure's room. It's important.'_

 _He could of explained why..._

Still, it's for Azure's sake. I speed through my morning routine and head over. I see Rex standing in front of Azure's door. He looked pissed.

I could hear him ranting. "Of all the stupid, irresponsible, reckless decisions she's made in her life, this is the absolute worst. When I get my hands on her, I am going to slap some sense into that thick head!"

Haley shows up. "I got the message. What happened to Azure?"

Rex growls. "The idiot ran away!"

Haley looks worried. "You certain?"

Rex pushes open the door. I was about to question why it was unlocked when I notice the bullet holes where the lock should be. _I'm not even surprised with him anymore._

"Haley, hold your breath."

Haley walks into the room. "Why would I-" She starts gagging.

Rex hands her a rag, which she uses to cover her mouth and nose immediately. "Why is it when you warn someone, they proceed to do the opposite?"

I step inside and I am immediately confronted with a horrid smell. "Is this... perfume?"

"Azure intentionally buys bad perfume for when she deals Faunus with an enhanced sense of smell."

I look at him, my gaze silently asking why he knows this. He shrugs. "Why do you think I had that rag ready? It isn't the first time I was a victim to this. Remember the week I didn't wear the uniform to class? She even used the same brand."

Looking at the room, I realized the only thing inside was her bed. She had taken everything else out. "She really did it... At the very least, if she was planning on coming back, she wouldn't have emptied her closet."

Haley shakes her head. "I guess she did leave. However, it is still her choice whether to continue in this school. Plenty of people drop out."

Rex sighs. "Haley, Azure has told you she grew up on the streets. She was here on scholarship."

I immediately catch on to Rex's reasoning. "She doesn't have anything to fall back on if she leaves, does she? No relatives, no home."

Rex nods. "This is her one chance to live a relatively normal life." Suddenly his scroll vibrates. He pulls it out and checks who messaged him. "Great. Now the headmaster wants to see me."

"You think he knows?"

"This is the only reason he would call me this early. I have to go. We'll figure something out when I get back. She can't have gotten that far." He walks off.

* * *

Rex's POV

 _Is this really all our promise to watch each other's back meant to her? How did I miss this? What use is the ability to read minds when I can't even tell when my friend is going to something this drastic?_

I open the door to the headmasters office. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

He looks up from his scroll. "Yes. Mr. Rex, I assume you realize why I called you here?"

I nod. "At some unknown point last night, Azure snuck out of Sanctum Academy with no intent to return."

"Indeed. However, this leads to a problem. Her arrangement with the Hunters was that as long as she went through the training and graduated from one of the academies, her criminal record would be pardoned. As such, her leaving means that we have to reopen those records and track her down to enforce the law."

"And your asking me to find out how to track her down? I'm not helping you. My loyalty to Azure is greater then to the Hunter's. If you carry this out, you lose two students, not one."

The headmaster sighs. "Actually, I was hoping you could figure out how to bring her back. There are very few on the staff here who would be happy seeing Azure behind bars."

"So your threat?"

"I can give you until midnight before I have to declare her rogue. Think of it as motivation."

"I need permission for myself, Haley Onyx, and Jason Breech to skip class for the day."

The headmaster raises an eyebrow. "You're getting them involved?"

"They'll get involved either way. At least this way there's no hassle for them ditching class."

* * *

We all caught up in it  
Cause we all brought up in it  
The hardship we endure is  
Just a part of living  
All the hearts we break  
That's just a part of building  
All the parts we take  
That's just a part of giving  
You don't see it, what you seeing is hidden  
And when they hide it they don't want  
No one to find it - forbidden  
And when they lying  
Then it's really only truth that they spitting  
If you believe 'em  
Then it's really just a lie that's been written  
It's kinda hard to try to figure out  
The science/religion  
Cuz all the hate that you spraying is  
Really love that's misgiven  
And all the love that you craving is  
Just a hateful incision  
And when our soul's cradled  
Then it's in a grave or imprisoned  
The state we live in  
Ain't the way we envisioned  
When we were babies  
There were so many ways  
We were left wishing  
But now the wool has been  
Pulled over these eyes that did glisten  
And now that glimmer of hope  
Won't even shine in a prism

* * *

Haley's POV

"I can't believe Azure would just run out on us like this." _I thought we were friends. She could have come to us._

Jason shakes his head. "Looking back, it should have been obvious; we missed the signs. The question is how are we going to track her down."

Having adjusted to the smell, I sniff slightly. "She scent-bombed everything. I can't smell anything other then the perfume."

"She probably expected Rex to follow her and wanted to take away his advantage. So scent-tracking is out."

A new voice pops up. "Excuse me?" We turn to see the blind girl from the beginning of the year standing nearby. "Hello, my name is Ora Khloros. Why are you talking about tracking?"

Jason answers. "Our friend Azure left without warning us. We want to make sure she's alright."

Ora stiffens and starts muttering under her breath. "...not good... shou... happened."

 _She knows something._

Rex shows up again, but he immediately gets agitated when he sees Ora. "Haley, didn't you and Azure meet a blind girl on the day you came back?"

I nod. "This is her."

He walks forward before suddenly grabbing Ora by the shirt collar and lifting her off the floor. "Because of you, Azure has been suffering and now she's missing. I don't know if you planned it, but if you _ever_ cause my friends any more pain, I will show you why there are criminals scared of me. This is your _only_ warning." For a second it looked like both his eyes were black instead of just his right. _Was that... no it had to be a trick of the light._

Rex drops Ora and she collapses to the ground. As he walks away, I move towards Ora and place a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" _Damn it Rex. I get you're upset, but this is too far._

"I'm fine Haley. He's probably right though. It shouldn't have gone this bad." _This bad?_ Ora suddenly starts muttering again. "The one you search for no longer has locks that match the night's beauty and eyes filled with the sky's grace. Instead search for hair reflecting the blessed moon and eyes shining with the lands bounty."

I look at Jason. "You understand that?

"I think she meant that Azure has disguised herself. She could have just _said_ it, but..." He shrugs.

We run to catch up to Rex. He turns around. "What's wrong?"

"Ora seems to think that Azure has changed her appearance."

Surprisingly, Rex shakes his head. "I was expecting that. Disguise is one of Azure's more dedicated talents. Did she have any idea?"

I nod. "She said something about her hair being like the moon and her eyes are 'the lands bounty'."

"So most likely a silver-white for hair and land's bounty... I'll admit that one is beyond me."

 _Land's bounty... That's it!_ I smile. "The land's bounty is plant life, green. You're planning on looking for her, right?"

"I'm planning on all three of us looking for her. We have a deadline to convince her back today."

Jason shakes his head. "That's not a lot of time, all things considered."

"The way I see it, we're training to be Hunters... let's hunt."

* * *

?'s POV

 _Such a foolish child, walking down my alley this early in the morning._

I follow her down the way, moving in closer. Suddenly she stops and brushes her hair out of her face. "I wonder how stupid you must be."

 _Excuse me?_ "Girl, hand me your money, and I _might_ let you leave alive."

She starts to laugh. "You see a young women walk down an alley in a bad neighborhood just barely after dawn and you don't question it? I tricked you here, not the other way around." She pulls a blade out of her cloak.

"Aw, you think I'm scared of your little knife?"

Suddenly she disappears and something presses into my back.

"No, I expect you to be scared of _me._ Now, you are going to give me your money. Fair play and all that."

"Who the Hell are you?"

"I have many names. You can call me Dagger."

I turn to face the girl only for the blade to reach for my throat. I raise my hands in surrender. "I give. What do you want?"

Her green eyes sparkle in delight as she answered. "I said I wanted your money."

Her other hand comes up and drags a blade across my face. My hand immediately clamps over the bleeding wound. A _n inch to the left and she would have taken my eye._

"Now you're going to spread a message. I am taking this Kingdom by storm..."

* * *

The things that you conceal/They can't hide you  
The things that you reveal/They can't guide you  
What you thought was real/Is just a lie too  
If you can't find the truth/The truth will find you  
The things that you detest/Are deep inside you  
The things that you possess/They only ride you  
The words that you confess/Are just a lie too  
If you can't find the truth/The truth will find you

* * *

Rex's POV

Noon approaches, and we haven't seen a single clue where Azure went.

"We've been looking for hours. How hard is it to find one person when we know exactly what they look like?"

I sigh internally. "Breech, Azure has survived by making herself hard to find. I first met her by complete chance. The second time, she was already in trouble and drawing a commotion. She realizes she'd be followed; she won't make it easy."

Haley stops. "And by searching together, we're more obvious to her, meaning she's more likely to see us than the other way around."

I nod. "Probably."

"So lets split up to cover more ground."

 _Damn it, we have no choice in the matter. Them potentially learning who Azure_ _ **was**_ _is better than failing to find her in time._ "We've been tracking Azure like we would a regular person. She's not. We need to think like a street rat."

"How do we do that?"

I gesture towards Breech. "Can you pull a map of the city, with districts divided by relative wealth?"

He quickly starts manipulating his scroll. Soon, the map I requested was on all three of our scrolls. "Azure will go to where she feels most familiar with. She grew up where the slums met with a wealthier district. That means she would probably go here." I point out three areas; one each to West, North, and East; that match the criteria. "I'll take the western zone."

Haley smiles. "I'll take the North."

Breech nods. "That leaves East for me. Find her, then call it in so we can converge."

 _Azure, please don't get in over your head._

* * *

Jason's POV

 _Still no sign of her._ I've been checking the backs ways and alleys of my zone. If she wanted to move unseen, the obvious solution is to go through the places people don't like to tread.

"Hey bird-boy. You should know not to wonder the alleyways or you _might_ go missing."

 _Damn it._ "Have you seen a girl here with white hair and green eyes?" I roll my shoulders. _This is going to end in a fight._

"Can't say that I have. Still, you should be more worried about yourself. Fork over the Lien."

I chuckle. _There are only two._ "You have no idea who you're messing with." The first charges straight at me. I duck underneath his knife and launch my elbow into his gut, bringing his head forward for an uppercut. I take the blade and test its balance. "Not really a knife fighter, but this should do for now." A quick slash reveals he wasn't an Aura user as a line of red appears on his arm.

"Let's see, I have your weapon and I'm the one with Aura in this fight. You should probably run now."

The second thug pulls a gun. _I am really questioning their survival instincts now._ I move toward him, and easily dodge his shot. I slam the knife handle down on his wrist and he drops the gun. A swift knee brought him down.

The first thug strikes me in the back of my head while I was distracted. However, it doesn't hold a candle to the sorts of blows I've received training with Haley and Rex. "Bad move." I turn and launch a hook into his jaw that knocks him out.

 _I should detain them, but I don't have the time._ I call police and report an attempted mugging. Before I leave, I pocket the gun's firing pin.

 _Hope the others are having a better time than I am._

* * *

Haley's POV

 _Hope the others are having a better time than I am._ I haven't seen any clue towards where Azure could be.

I haven't been paying attention to where I was going and end up bumping into somebody and knocking them over. "Sorry, wasn't looking." I offer my hand.

She brushes silver bangs out of her face before grabbing my hand. "Not a problem." I notice her eyes were green.

 _There is no way it was this easy._ "You look familiar. What's your name?"

She smiles. "My name is Bella."

I sniff the air and she smells like the perfume from Azure's room. "Minus the colors, you look a lot like my friend Azure. You also _smell_ like her." _Scent doesn't lie._

The girl's smile immediately shifts to panic and she disappears, confirming that it was Azure. I message the others to head to my zone before rushing to find her again.

 _Azure, please trust us._

* * *

Ways through the madness  
Are often painful and tragic  
Your final place is a wasteland  
That's filled with anger and havoc  
And all the angels and magic  
Couldn't re-angle the traffic  
And this disgrace of a place  
Is left to its demons and addicts  
There ain't no way to try to  
Come back from these episodes  
They'll leave you lost  
Until you're found extra-terrestrial  
Cuz when the human mind is  
Nothing more than vegetables  
It's so easy to spray, and say  
There's nothing left of those!  
That's the point cuz as they grow it  
They don't want you to know it  
So they dress it up like it's pretty  
When it's really a rodent  
And they make it out to be silly  
When it's really important  
And yea they call it your partner  
When it's really your opponent

* * *

Rex's POV

I sit on a rooftop meditating. _Focus. The more upset you are, the harder it will be to sense Azure._

Casting out with my Semblance, I search for the familiar feel of Azure's mind.

 _There._ I stand up and look towards the horizon and the setting sun. _We're almost out of time._

* * *

Azure's POV

 _Damn mutt. How did I forgot she could smell me?_

Apparently she told the others, because I barely dodged Jason noticing me. _Rex is probably here as well. Fuck my luck._

Still, I haven't seen any of them for several hours. Sundown is approaching and they have to be getting tired. _I may need to head to Atlas earlier than expected._

I enter a club and sit at the bar, dropping several Lien cards on the table. "Give me the good stuff."

"You are much too young to be drinking."

I immediately draw a dagger off my wrist sheathe and stab it into the table, causing the bartender to jump. "I don't fucking care. You can either serve me and get a jump on your profits, or you can lose the night and your stock. What's it going be?"

Wisely, he chooses to give me a drink, as well as well as another once I finish it.

I start to feel the buzz and hold off. _As much as I want to, I need to keep aware._ I start to people watch and look for potential marks.

( _I'm disappointed, Azure_ )

 _Rex?_ I turn to see him standing at the doorway out. We both realize I can simply move past him with my Semblance, but the point is made. _Leave me alone!_

( _Do you understand what you're getting into? Once you cross this line, Hunters will not stop looking._ )

 _It's my life!_ I charge him and slash with one of my daggers. He raises an arm, relying on Aura to protect him from injury.

I shift outside and run off. As I run down an alleyway, my head starts to pound. Suddenly my vision shifts, and I am in a forest surrounded by falling leaves.

"I can't believe this actually worked. Azure, there's no more running."

* * *

The things that you conceal/They can't hide you  
The things that you reveal/They can't guide you  
What you thought was real/Is just a lie too  
If you can't find the truth/The truth will find you  
The things that you detest/Are deep inside you  
The things that you possess/They only ride you  
The words that you confess/Are just a lie too  
The only way to find the truth/Is to find you

* * *

Azure's POV

I turn around and see Rex. "What did you do?"

"There is always a subtle sense of... resistance is the best word, when I near someone's mind. Normally, I ignore it, getting only the surface thoughts. If I desire more, I push through the resistance. When you ran, I... _pulled_ , if that makes sense."

I look around, taking in the forest. "So, instead of going in my head, you brought me into yours?"

He shrugs. "I went off a hunch. Even Qrow's notes are pretty sparse on this, so I can only assume so."

"Why can't you leave me alone? I'm done with Sanctum."

"Azure, th-"

 _"DON'T CALL ME THAT! AZURE DOESN'T EXIST! SHE NEVER DID! ANOTHER LIE I PRETENDED TO LIVE!"_

He reaches out an arm to reach out to me, but I slap it away. "It's all I do... lie. I've been lying to everyone; I even fooled myself. I was scared of everyone, so I pretended to be a master criminal that knew no fear. _Dagger_ took form, and I wore her mask for strength. When the Hunters approached us, I had to make a new mask. I became _Azure Raptor_ , a cocky huntress-in-training. But in the end, they were just fakes. You said I made it because I was myself? I'm still that little girl who is terrified of people. Even with you, Haley, and Jason. _I lied and said I trusted you all!_ I don't... you three scare me even more than others, because I can't hate you. People always work for themselves. I'm alone... even with everyone around me, I'm still alone." My legs start trembling.

"You're wrong. You aren't alone. Me, Haley, Breech; all three of us decided we would go after you because we thought you might be in trouble. Your well-being is important for us. And if you continue this path... if you still wish to break with the Hunters... I'll follow suit. We swore to look out for each other. Even if we have to take on every Hunter in the Kingdoms, I'll follow your choice."

I can't stand up anymore and my legs collapse. " _Why?_ What benefit is there for you?"

"There doesn't need to be one. My word is law to me. And another thing; they aren't masks. They're your past. Everything you did with them, _you_ did."

He reaches forward and hugs me. I let him this time. "Why can't I hate you?"

"Because I see the real you, and accept her. Even if you can't."

"Rex takes us back to the real world."

He nods and my vision shifts back to the alleyway where I lay collapsed on the ground. I stand up, and Rex soon approaches. He embraces me in another hug and I start crying. _I'm sick of pretending to be someone else._

"Then be _you_."

* * *

Haley's POV

Jason and I meet up with Rex and a crying Azure. Under her sobs I hear her begging for forgiveness. "I'm so sorry."

I smile. "There's nothing to forgive, Azure. You have the right to choose."

Her crying starts to lighten up. "Damn it, Haley. I'm coming back."

Jason and even Rex smile as well. Jason says what we are all thinking. "Let's go home."

* * *

Yea, yea, they can't hide you  
Uh, nah, they can't guide you  
Yah, yah, it's all a lie too  
The only way to find the truth  
Is to find you  
Yeah, yeah, they gonna ride you  
Yah, yah, they deep inside you  
Yo, yo, they right behind you  
The only way to find the truth  
Is to find you!

* * *

 **WN: Dear gods I went on a marathon with this one.**

 **First off- I DON'T SUPPORT UNDERAGE DRINKING! THAT SCENE IS MEANT TO HIGHLIGHT HOW BROKEN AZURE FEELS.**

 **The thing with Azure... Her entire life has been dedicated to** ** _surviving_** **. People constantly hurt her to the point she subconsciously assumes people will betray her. She feels scared constantly... She pretends to be strong, but there are a few hints prior that show her insecurities.**

 **On a meta standpoint, Ora did not actually cause this, she merely accelerated Azure's inevitable breakdown. On natural terms, it would have occurred during the regional tournament, and the added confusion would have allowed Azure to slip away beyond the deadline.**

 **Azure's alias Bella is a corruption of the Slovenian word bela, meaning white. It is a running gag that Azure's aliases' almost always resort to her current hair color.**

 **Rex's mind world... Originally it was going to debut later on, but I decided to bring it in early on a sweeter note. Take of that what you will.**

 **Probably should stop ranting.**

* * *

Neo's POV

"So how is training our protege going?"

I sigh. "Mercury; Shade is a idiot, overconfident, crutches on his Semblance, and I believe he literally gets off on hurting people. How do you think training him is going? Speaking of which, I have to go find him because he's late for another session."

I head into the prison. To no surprise, he was tormenting the human girl again. "SHADE! You are late."

He turns around. "Well, look at the time. Until later, girl." He casually draws his sword and swipes it down the girl's face. He walks out the cell and brushes by me.

I head to the girl and she recoils, but I can see a defiant hate in her eyes. "What do you want?"

I place a hand on her face and channel my Aura. The wound starts healing, and soon only a scar remains. "What's your name girl?"

She stutters in confusion. "Mo-Morgana Rex."


	13. Y2C5: Semblance of a Pack

**AN: Welcome back. I've been looking forward to this chapter, and given the release of Season's and Lessons in Phoenix Rose, the stories synced up well.**

Year 2: Semblance of a Pack

Haley's POV

A powerful hit lifts me from the ground and sends me flying. I turn the landing into a roll and grab my footing, Ivory and Ebony ready. I charge in, only to get launched over my opponents head and hit the floor hard. I lay on the ground, panting slightly.

"You're telegraphing your attacks. Again!" I turn my head to face Rex, his arms crossed.

"Give me a break there. That last round hurt."

He shrugs. "You're the one who asked me for help practicing for the tournament. I agreed because you seemed serious about it."

I stand up, rubbing the shoulder he used to throw me. "That's before I knew what you considered a warmup."

"So you're just calling it quits? I'm surprised Haley, I never took you to be a _beta_ in our friendship."

There is a line you just don't cross, and Rex just blasted over it. My instincts blaze up. _Challenge, fight, prove!_

"I belong to no one!" I start slicing at Rex with my scythes, weaving an intricate pattern into the air and forcing Rex to back up under the force of my assault. One strike forces his sword out of line, and I begin to follow through when my left arm starts feeling like it was set on fire. Dropping my weapons, I clutch it and scream in pain.

"Haley, what's wrong?" There was panic in Rex's voice.

 _Fire, Pain, Run, Flee, Find Water!_ My vision starts to blur and I pass out.

* * *

Azure's POV

I sit down next to Haley, who was laying unconscious in the infirmary. "Rex, what did the nurse say?"

"Well, first she assumed it was _my_ fault. Once I made it clear it _wasn't_ -"

Jason comes rushing in. "I got here as fast as possible. What did Rex do?"

Rex rests his head in his hand. "Why is everyone's first thought that I caused it?"

"Our first fight- you knocked me down and then proceeded to smash me in the forehead with your pistol. They had to check I didn't get a concussion."

Rex nods. "Fair enough. Anyways, Nurse Grey said she's physically okay."

I raise an eyebrow. "Haley passes out in the middle of sparring and is still out from it. How is that 'physically okay'?"

Rex shrugs. "According to her, there was no reason for Haley to fall unconscious. Minus some bumps and bruises, and I admit that's my fault, Haley has a clean bill of health." He shakes his head as he looks at the time. "And of course, we have a couple more classes today."

Jason nods. "We can check on her afterwards."

* * *

Jason's POV

 _Now's not the time, brain._ I try to focus on Prof. Dusty's lecture, but keep finding my attention drawn back to Haley. Azure and Rex are similarly distracted. Still it's the last class of the day and it's almost over.

Focusing back on the professor I catch the tail end of the assignment. "-hand in the papers in two months."

 _Essay, great._ Finally the class ends and we head back to check on Haley.

Nothing had changed. Azure starts rubbing her wrist. "Anyone else worried about her?"

 _Someone doesn't simply pass out for a couple hours._ I nod. "Whatever happened is big."

Rex sits down, closes his eyes, and starts to meditate. "All we can do is wait until she wakes up. Worrying too much will only make things worse."

 _How can he treat this so casually?_ "So you're just going to sit there?"

He opens his right eye to look at me. "Do you have a medical degree? We can't do anything productive, so let's avoid doing things that will do harm, like fret unnecessarily."

Azure steps between us. "Can you two not fight right now? For Haley's sake if nothing else."

Rex nods and closes his eye again, his body stilling. I walk out of the room to clear my head.

After a minute, Azure comes out. She sighs and I look at her. "Worried about Haley?"

She rubs her wrist again. "This is new to me. What is someone supposed to do when this comes up?"

"Rex was right on this one. We watch out for her, and wait for something to change. I just wish he'd show more concern."

Azure punches me in the shoulder. "You know him better than that. He's the one who got her medical attention, and he's the one staying at her side right now. You don't any idea what today is to him. Instead of focusing on his own problems, he worries about Haley."

 _True, there are more ways to be compassionate than simply acting worried, but..._ "What's so big about today to Rex?"

"It's his-"

Rex calls out. "Haley's awake." At that cue, we both rush back to the room to see her sitting up and rubbing her head.

In a heartbeat Azure was simply _there_ at her side. "Are you okay?"

Haley looks around. "I have the mother of all headaches, my arm hurts, and I apparently was brought to the infirmary. I am _obviously_ fine." She notices the clock. "I was out for _that_ long?"

"Whatever happened, not even the staff here knows."

"Miss Raptor, I would get your facts straight before you make such claims." I jump at the sound of Nurse Grey a mere foot behind me.

 _How did I not notice her?_ I ask the obvious question. "So you do know?"

She gives a smile. "I had a hunch and went looking into her records. Miss Onyx's student register has her Semblance listed unknown. On very rare occasions, when a Hunter first taps into his or her Semblance, the body reacts violently, causing them to pass out. My only advice is to get a good night's rest and she will fine in the morning."

A bright smile appears on Haley's face. "You mean I can use my Semblance now?"

"Not till tomorrow unless you want to risk a relapse. Now scram kids."

The four of us leave, relieved that nothing serious has occurred.

* * *

Rex's POV

I walk into the room carrying several cups of tea to here Haley waving us off. "Seriously guys, you can relax. If Grey said I'm fine, you don't need to worry."

I hand her a cup. "We're friends. All of us are going to care for your sake. Haley, I put some extra stuff in yours to help with the headache."

Azure greedily snatches her cup, and immediately starts to drink it. I hand one over to Jason and set down the plate to drink my own.

Azure looks up from her cup. "So, Haley's Semblance... What do you guys think it's going to be?"

Haley sets her cup down. "We just have to find out. My family may have a theme for Semblances, but the specifics vary."

I nod. "Maybe that's part of the appeal to them. You never know just what strength you soul will call forth."

Azure nudges my arm. "Just because we're drinking tea doesn't mean you have to start with the zen stuff." She's chuckling while she says it. "The power of dragons... fuck, that just _sounds_ amazing."

We talk for a few more minutes as the pills I slipped into Haley's tea start to take effect and she falls asleep. Together the three of us place her into her bed before calling it a night.

When I get to bed I pull out a picture and look at it. My strength deserted me as I stare at Morganna's smile. A tear rolls down my face. _Happy birthday, sis._

* * *

Haley's POV

With a bright new day, the four of us start trying to figure out what my Semblance is. Unfortunately, I can't seem to recreate the feeling that triggered it yesterday. "Why isn't it working?"

Azure starts to look contemplative. "Well, Nurse Grey said that the reaction was your body responding to your Semblance, right? From what I remember, you said it was specifically your arm that hurt. Maybe we start there?"

Jason nods. "That might work."

I lift up my left arm, and focus on it. Closing my eyes, I slowly apply extra aura to it. For a brief second, my arm begins to itch. Azure suddenly gasps. I open my eyes to see two dragons floating in front of me, one black, one white. Looking at my arm, I notice my tattoo was gone.

 _Not gone._ I look back at the dragons and realize that they _were_ my tattoo. "My Semblance... makes them _real._ "

Rex slightly tilts his head before reaching out to touch the white one. It allows him to close and he starts to pet its head. "Amazing. And no doubt devastating in battle."

The black one lands and presses up against my leg. I kneel down and run my hand down its back. "How do you feel about fighting alongside me..." A name appears in my mind and I grab hold of it. "Ebony?"

The newly named dragon looks into my eyes. A soft growl emerges from its throat as it nods in agreement. The white one -my mind conjures the name _Ivory_ \- turns around and rushes over to me, wrapping around my legs. "Looks like we're going to be a team."

* * *

 **AN: This was a fun chapter. Interestingly enough, when I first came up with this idea ~1 year ago, it was a much more traditional sick day, with Rex using his experience raising Morganna to good use. However as I wrote it, it developed in a much different direction.  
**

 **Another big thing was I actually checked with CPF12 on some details on how I should portray Ebony and Ivory. Good thing, because the Commander and I were working on a much different scale (Yangdammit) size with the guys than CPF12 was. I was thinking something housepet sized due to reading** _The Girl Raised by Dragons_ **written by CPF12 themselves. The Commander had a similar scale, but CPF12 was thinking _car_ -sized. Cue the three of us spending a hour post-midnight (for me anyways) setting up a balance through PMs, where I was acting as middleman for messages. We found a solution that all three of us enjoy, so no worries on that front.**


	14. Y2C6: Two Stories: Dragon's Eye

**AN: I had a rather nasty writer's block, so I'm sorry that it took so long for this bit to get out. On better news, this is a double update! As the title suggests, these are two interconnected chapters occurring at the same time.**

* * *

Year 2: Two Stories: Dragon's Eye

Haley's POV

"Don't worry Haley, this year you'll take first without a doubt!"

I was waiting alongside Jason and Azure before the Mistral Regional tournament started up this year.

 _Only a few more minutes before they reveal the lineup._ "Thanks. I put in a lot of work in the last few weeks, but I doubt any of the others were slacking off themselves. Not to mention Pyrrha is going to be defending her title today."

Jason nods. "She's the one to beat. I have faith in you, though."

Azure smiles. "Especially since you have your Semblance working now. Just be sure to save it for a tight spot. The first reveal will be certain to trip people up, but they'll expect it after that."

Finally the time comes and the tourney brackets are shown, I scour the list for my name, finding it and my first opponent.

 _Haley Onyx- Pyrrha Nikos._

They both look at me, and Azure voices their concern. "First round with her..." She quickly smiles again. "Like I said, you'll take the whole event. The best fight just will be happening in the first round!"

My scroll vibrates and I check it to see a message from Rex. ' _Saw the results. You have this, Haley. Break a leg out there. Preferably Nikos'.'_

"Well good to see he cares."

Anticipation filled me as I watch the tournament commence. Soon enough, my turn arises. As I walk towards the field, I run my fingers across my tattoo. _Hope you two are ready. We have quite the fight ahead of_ _us._

* * *

My head slams onto the table. "First round. All that training and I get eliminated in the first round."

I feel someone place a hand on my shoulder. Looking up, I see it was Azure who put it there, with Jason and Rex behind her. "You still gave Pyrrha Hell though."

"I was eighth place last year. _Eighth_ out of over 250 fighters. Then I get dead last. I must be pathetic."

Jason shakes his head. "You know its not like that. It was just a bad draw, Haley. Someone has to end up facing the eventual winner in the first round."

"I know that in my head... but I still feel horrible."

"Okay I am sick and tired of this moping. The two of us are going to have a girl's day, now." Azure grabs my shoulder and starts dragging me. She turns to look back at the guys. "Play nice and don't destroy anything."

* * *

 _Clothes shopping, really?_ "I really don't get why you are doing this."

Azure leans around the rack she was looking through. "Simple- I'm going to make sure you don't get a chance to focus on the tournament until you get over it."

"And in your boundless creativity, you decided that the best choice was picking out a new outfit?"

"Isn't this what girls do to hang out?"

"Hold up." _There is no way she actually-_ "Are you actually basing this off of cliches?

Azure blushed. "Kind of? I... didn't really have friends. I'm kinda grasping at straws for ideas. I mean, I like cloths, cliche or no, so I thought it might be nice."

"Alright... I think I got something together."

We head to the changing rooms and put on the new outfits.

I look in the mirror and spin to get a good idea of what I looked like. I had taken a black shirt that only had the right sleeve, leaving my dragons visible. White and faint red accents brought some color into the shirt. In addition, I had some black pants with a pair of white lines running down the side of my right leg.

 _I think this passes the test._ I smile and wait for Azure, wondering about what she picked out for herself. As soon as she walks out, it was obvious she did not disappoint.

Her shirt was a dark grey that was close to black. It had a lower cut top, but not enough to be considered tempting. Over it she wore a deep blue jacket with a flared collar that was left completely open. Her pants were a lighter blue that matched her eyes and accentuated her legs.

She was playing it up as well. She added a confident stride, and she had sly smirk that stated 'look but don't touch.'

Noticing my gaze, her smirk grew. "I see this had caught your eye. Looks like I made a good choice." She takes a glance at my outfit and nods. "Very nice."

We go to pay for the clothes, and I'm surprised that Azure pays for both of us, despite my protests. She insists that its a gift from her, but I still feel uncomfortable with her paying for it.

* * *

Our next stop was a Dust store to pick up ammo.

"Okay, I admit this is just a chore I needed to do at some point, but I keep putting this off. I'll make up for this, I swear." Azure looks over several boxes before grabbing some.

I look at what she grabbed. "I don't think I've seen you use your rifle since our fight at the beginning of our first year."

"Well, you remember Rex basically saying I was idiot for using a sniper rifle at point blank and all that? The problem was while both of us use high yield rounds for that extra kick, I simply have a more powerful gun. Rex can use those rounds because a pistol puts less energy into a bullet than a rifle will. These are much weaker, meaning I can use them in spars. I won't be restricted to my daggers anymore."

I smile. "I look forward to seeing what you do with them."

She pays for the ammo before talking to the man at the counter. "Excuse me sir? My friend recently put in an order for some specialty rounds under the name 'Rex'. Are they ready?"

He pulls out a box from under the counter. Azure gives a quick glance inside it before nodding and paying for the bullets.

As we walk out, a devious smile grows on her face. "And with that I own the favor advantage over Rex."

"You seem way too excited about that."

She shrugs. "Maybe it's just a thing for us, but this is the first time in 8 months he owed _me_. Anyways, I said I'd make up for this, so I know this nice place to eat and I'm paying."

* * *

We sit down our table and order our meals. While we wait, I ask her something that's been bothering me. "I know you're doing this whole 'treat me to a nice day' thing, but you've been spending a lot of money and I don't want you spending it all on me. My family left behind a lot of money."

"It's completely okay, Haley, I'm not going broke anytime soon."

"Where are you getting the money? You've said you used to live on the streets."

She looks around before staring at me. "This stays secret. And by secret, I mean tell Jason and they'll find the body in Atlas secret."

 _Not Rex?_ "I promise." I reach for the water the waiter left for us.

She blushes a little. "Remember that bet I made with Rex back during finals week?" She continues after I nod. "Well the thing was, if I won, Rex would spend the summer break as my butler."

My mind conjures the image of Rex wearing a tuxedo and serving Azure. _Huh. He'd probably be able to pull off the stern butler routine quite well, actually._

Azure sighs. "I lost."

"So I'm guessing you had to be his maid or something?"

She shakes her head. "Not quite... Turns out there are maid cafes in Mistral."

I start coughing up water after that. It was so out there I couldn't actually process the thought. The idea of Azure, who alternates between a shadow in the corner and in your face, working in a _maid cafe?_

"What?"

She gives a weak smile. "They give _really_ good tips. Combine that with my scholarship and the fact I mooch off of Rex when possible, I can splurge on occasion. Rarely."

I can't help it. I start laughing, although I calm down after seeing her glare. "You done now?"

I let out another small chuckle. "I'm done."

Her glare shifts into a smile. "Glad that you look happy again."

I stop for a second. I was still upset over the tournament, but Azure opening up like this starts to feel more important than it. "Thanks."

"Not a problem for a friend." She stumbles a little at friend. I don't know what just went through her mind, but the way she smiles as she said it makes it clear that it was meaningful in some way. "So you said your family is wealthy? Can I ask just how much?"

I laugh. "We're _rich._ It's not like we could buy out the SDC, but I'll probably never run out of money in my lifetime."

Azure smirks. "Well, just keep me in mind whenever you need a favor done."

Our food comes and we eat, laugh, and joke. I also manage to convince Azure to let me split the bill.

* * *

We head back to Sanctum and run into Rex and Jason drinking tea together. I note that their faces are bruised. _They got into another fight, but why are they smiling?_

Azure facepalms. "I thought I told you two to behave."

Rex shrugs a bit. "Jason and I had a heart to heart."

 _And apparently a fist to face._

Jason nods. "I think the both of us are much closer. You guys?"

I chuckle. "She help get my head on straight again."

Azure starts stalking towards Rex. "We had a pretty decent talk ourselves." She makes an attempt to steal the cup out of Rex's hands, but pouts as Rex stops her.

He sighs before saying he'll make more, much to Azure's cheers.

 **WN: I have to give credit to Phoenix Commander on Dragon's Eye for the Haley/Azure combo name. It had stumped both me and CPF12. Shipper's are now welcome to Tweet their fanart of the two to me with the proper hashtag! Joking, I ain't no homewrecker. That and CPF might kill me if they get it as well.**

 **Edit: CPF12 has okayed Dragon's Eye fanart... If you have the skills and desire, unleash the shipping!**

 **Fashion is not my thing. Hopefully you guys found the outfits I described appealing.**

 **The maid cafe thing got stuck in my head eight months ago. So not sorry. She still owns the uniform.**

 **Azure's stumbling over her words is pretty big. From her side, she's admitting to** ** _herself_** **that she has friends now, which she has long considered just another vulnerability.**

 **Part one completed. Please continue to part two.**


	15. Y2C7: Two Stories: Death's Messengers

**AN: This is the second of a two-part update. If you have not read the Dragon's Eye segment of Two Stories, please do so.  
**

Year Two: Two Stories; Death's Messengers

Jason's POV

"Okay I am sick and tired of this moping. The two of us are going to have a girl's day, now." Azure grabs Haley by the shoulder and proceeds to drag her out. She glares at me and Rex. "Play nice and don't destroy anything."

Like that, we were left alone. I look at Rex. "She realizes she said that to us, right?"

He shrugs before getting up and walking away. "Meditating on the roof. Don't bug me unless it's important."

 _Fine, I got better things to do than argue with him._ I head out to train.

* * *

Rex's POV

I sit facing the sun and let it's glow wash over me as I slow my breathing. Thankfully, there are few students within my Semblance's range, leaving a relative quiet in my mind. I turn my thoughts inward and open my eyes to find the forest of my mind.

 _This ability... a place I hear nothing but myself. It took a month and a half to return here, but the peace is beautiful_ _._

I stand up and begin to wander through the falling leaves. I place a hand upon one of the trees. This forest feels alive; there is an energy I simply cannot place that fills the atmosphere.

A black blur moves in the corner of my vision. I turn to look at it, but whatever was there disappeared. I move to where it was to see a trail of pawprints. A wolf's call comes from afar. I follow the trail, seeing more blurs, but never clearly.

The trail leads to a cave. The air around it is pulsing with a dark feeling. I step towards the entrance, trying to see what's inside.

I felt ill at ease, but something told me the cave wasn't it. _Another day, I will return here._ I close me eyes and shift focus back to the real world.

I cast out with my mind for any clue as to what distracted me. Almost immediately I am confronted with a wave of anger that overwhelmed my senses. ( _I hope he puts up some measure of resistance. It won't be fun to clip the bird's wings if he's so boring._ )

 _That's... I can't let him try anything._

* * *

Jason's POV

With a growl I throw Wither hard. The blade impacts the training dummy and lodges into the side of the wooden torso. It resists when I pull the chain so I walk up to it and yank it free. I take a look at my target and wince at the number of gouges I put in it.

"Look here, a little birdie all alone."

I turn around to see Artic looking at me. Judging by the smirk on his face and the hand ready to draw his sword, this wasn't going to be a friendly talk. I adjust my grip on my weapons. "For what do I owe this pleasure?

"I was just in the area and thought just how fun it would be put you in your place."

 _At least he's upfront about it. An oddly refreshing thing, really._ "Let's go then."

I quickly swing out with Blossom, aiming to grab his legs from under him. He jumps over the chain before he begins to walk towards me.

 _What is he up to?_ I fire a round at him. He turns his body so it strikes his shoulder, but I wince as my own shoulder starts to hurt. _How?_

My options were quickly being taken from me. I needed to buy time. I toss Wither out at his head as a distraction, and he ducks underneath it. I move in and slice with Blossom. I slash his arm and quickly feel my own cry out in pain.

It was quickly becoming apparent this was his Semblance. He can barely contain his satisfaction. "So did the bird figure it out? I hurt, _you_ hurt."

 _How do I fight someone who returns the damage I deal?_ Still, I had to put a a brave face. "I wouldn't be training to become a Hunter if I couldn't handle some aches and pains." _Now I just have to figure out how to beat him... And he hasn't even used his weapon yet.  
_

He steps backwards, confusing me. _I have better range. He can't be that stupid._ His sword arm flexes and a piece of sharpened ice flies toward me. I barely dodge out of the way to see him resheathing his sword. _Perfect, the sword has a Dust alloy._

I fire at Artic, taking the lashback as I move in. _I have to take him out before he wears me down._ I charge again and lunge for him.

I see his arm twitch before I feel the strike lash across my gut, dropping me to the floor. It hurts, but the cold of his blade is quickly turning that pain into a numbness. He calmly returns the sword to it's sheathe. "I had honestly hoped it would take more than this."

 _Damn it, he's strong._ My fist clenches. _I can't give up._

"Boarius, step away from him." I turn my head to see Rex walk into the room. "I am not in the mood to fight today, so it is in your best interest to do so." His white eye had shifted to black.

Artic laughs. "You really think I am scared of you? Hell, I'll make it two for one!" He charges at Rex. From the outside perspective, I manage to catch Artic performing a Iaido strike with his sword. However Rex somehow bends his body out of the way of the slash, making it a near miss. He then walks past Artic towards me.

 _What_ _the?_ Considering the way Artic was sputtering, he was as confused as I was.

He offers his hand to me. "Get up Jason. You're not beaten yet."

I grab his hand and he pulls me up, my mind running wild. _Did he actually call me Jason?_ "Careful, his Semblance will hurt you if you hit him."

He nod and raises his fists into a fighting stance. "Just have to make sure each blow counts."

Without speaking, the two of us pincer him. _Who is he going to target?_

He draws and another bolt of ice shoots towards me before he turns to charge Rex. Rex crouches underneath the strike before springing upwards, his leg glowing with Aura. His leg slams into Artic's face and sends him stumbling back. Rex covers his own face with his hand with a growl. "Damn it!"

Artic had to be hurting badly. I look at him. "You ready to give up?"

He grunts before charging me. This time, I'm ready for the slash and block it with Wither. I slam my fist into his face and wince immediately. _That's going to bruise._

Rex draws his sword in preparation for Artic's next move. When Artic tries to attack me, Rex stops him with a thrust into his gut. Artic bends over, but Rex was unaffected.

A predatory smirk grows on Rex's face. "You can't use it while you attack... interesting."

Artic backs up. "I'll let you off today, but both of you better know this isn't over."

I feel like laughing. _We've clearly won this. He can't take both of us._ "Whatever helps you sleep at night." Artic turns tail and runs from us.

Rex looks at me, his eye returning to its normal color. "Care for a drink?"

* * *

Rex offers me a cup of tea. "I used a herb for aches and pains. It should help." He starts slowly sipping from his own cup.

I gratefully take the cup. "I'm grateful for you showing up, but why did you even bother to help?" _We're not exactly close._

"Jason," my name from his mouth still sounds unnatural. "I never considered you lesser to me. In all honesty, do you really think I disrespect you?"

I consider all the times he insulted me. He would make a point I never beaten him in a duel, but he never actually suggested that I was a bad fighter. And really... he never insulted my intelligence or personality.

Then I look back at everything else.

Often his rudeness was a response to _me_ being rude to him. We've had plenty of civil conversations when I didn't. Usually with the girls around, but not always.

When Azure went missing, he trusted me to help find her and asked me to use my talent with machines to figure out where she went. He had trusted my work without questioning if it was right and simply _assumed_ it was.

When Haley got sick, he calmly suggested that we keep a cool head and tried to stop my agitation. Hell, I had admitted that he had a point and was more disagreeing on the lines it was _Rex_ suggesting it.

He was also pretty obvious about people he doesn't like. When Artic was brought up, a venomous edge was added to his voice, and considering the death glare he gave Pyrrha the other day, it's clear there's no love there. However, he was tranquil around me...

 _..._ I had not interacted with Rex before our first duel. Then, during the fight, he was cruel, dismissed me, and insulted my pride. It had not endeared me to him, and led to my hostility. But had that blinded me to what he really thought?

I smile. "I've been a blind fool."

"In the end, we are all fools. The wise simply acknowledge it."

I chuckle. "And there's the garbage that make me want to punch you in the face."

A smirk appears on his face for a brief second. "I helped you because my nature demanded it."

I look at him. "Care to clarify that?"

He closes his eyes. "I am a wolf. We are pack animals at our very core. A slight on our pack-mates might as well be directed towards ourselves. When I realized what Boarius was planning, my every instinct demanded I had to step in."

 _I'm part of his pack?_ "I guess I owe you for that. So, where does that leave us?"

His smirk returns. "I thought it was obvious. Friends." He opens his eyes back up.

I return the smile. "Friends... and rivals." I lift my cup to him.

He nods. "Rivals to the bitter end." He returns the gesture and we tap the cups together.

The two of us sit together, enjoying each others' company, when Haley and Azure walk in. Given the smiles on both their faces, I assume Azure's plan worked.

The girls look at the bruises on our faces and Azure face palms. "I thought I told you two to behave."

Rex shrugs. "Jason and I had a heart to heart."

I nod. "I think the both of us are much closer. You guys?"

Haley chuckles. "She help get my head on straight again."

Azure moves over to Rex. "We had a decent talk ourselves." She attempts to snatch his cup but he moves it away at the last second.

He sighs. "I'll make more." Azure cheers.

 **WN: AND DONE!**

 **Death's Messengers is not the most apparent combo name for the two. In reality is has to do with their Earth inspirations. Jason is thematically connected to Munin, one of the two ravens who served as messengers/advisors of Odin and entrusted with gathering the souls of those slain in battle. Rex, appearance-wise, is meant to invoke an old, widespread superstition known as the Black Scourge, an unnerving black wolf that is said to foretell the death of its witnesses or their close loved ones. (If you read or watched Prisoner of Azkaban, you know a version of the tale.)**

 **I want to clear up Artic's Semblance as well. His Semblance, Mark of Vengeance, allows him to 'Mark' a _single_ target who will share the pain he receives. He has to consciously choose his Mark; it slowly drains his Aura when active; the damage transfer goes both ways; he has to 'unMark' before he can Mark someone else, and that takes a small amount of valuable time. It works well 1v1 but quickly loses value as more people enter the fight.**

 **Once again, this is the second chapter in a double update. If you have not, please go back and read Dragon's Eye.**


	16. Y2C8: The Beast Runs Loose

**WN: Heh.. heh... HAHAHAHHAHAH! MUHEHEHEHEHHEH! HEHEHEHE-*Passes out***

 **...**

 **Where am I? Is this Fanfiction? Why am I... *sees chapter* _there_ we go. Sorry, YangfromYin here. Dark passed out from excitement. We'll be okay... I think.**

 ***mumbling* This is why you don't make deals with demons.  
**

 **Disclaimer: Song is _Kill em All_ by Ox**

Year 2: The Beast Runs Loose

Azure's POV

"-ke up."

 _Five more minutes._

"Azure, get up."

I feel something hit me in the head and I jolt up. I look around and realize I was in my Grimm Studies class... or the classroom anyways. I turn to see Rex looking at me. "You slept through half the class."

I roll my eyes. "I didn't sleep well last night. Besides, Augustus gives such boring information."

He stares at me. "I'm sure professor Scarlett will _overjoyed_ to hear your opinion on his teaching and his position."

"You tell me, when will I _ever_ need to know the bone growth patterns of a fucking beowolf?"

"In the test next week."

I flip him off. "We both know that was not what I meant."

He looks away. "Have you actually seen a Grimm before?"

I laugh. "Like I would ever leave the safety of the capital cities. The closest I've ever been to in the wilderness was on the transits to Vale and here."

"Then you can't truly understand what we're meant to fight."

I scoff. "And I suppose you had some great, _profound_ revelation at the hands of Grimm?"

He closes his eyes. "When I was younger, Mom and Dad took us out to an outlying village while on business. We met an off-duty Huntress. Then a pack of Grimm attacked the town. She simply took up her weapon and walked out to meet them. As soon as she started fighting, she ceased to be a person. She was an envoy of Death itself dancing across the battlefield. I was never more terrified... or exhilarated. Once you see what a Grimm can do, it changes everything."

"Well, one revelation I will never experience, then."

* * *

Rex pulls me to the side the next day. "What do you want?"

He shows his scroll, with a location called Eversnow Forest marked. I look at him. _You know that doesn't answer anything._

( _We're going to Hunt this weekend._ )

"What are you talking about?"

"I looked over the Sanctum handbook. Third year students, plus those with permission from the headmaster, can take low-risk Grimm suppression missions to bolster their grades, and receive a small budget to help cover any costs occurred. I figure you didn't want to trek through the swamps, so I got permission for the other option for us."

 _WHAT THE HELL REX? WHY DID YOU THINK I WOULD WANT TO DO THIS?_

( _You need to understand why we fight. You have two days to prepare._ ) He walks off.

 _Asshole._

( _I can hear that._ )

 _YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO!_

* * *

"Fucking damn it, it's cold here."

Rex stops walking. "Last time I checked, this was the _Eversnow_ Forest. Cold should be expected."

I look around to see a thin layer of snow covering the area. "Not _that_ much snow actually..."

"I'm not the one who names the places."

"Just find us a fucking Grimm already."

( _Considering that they're attracted to negativity, I''m certain_ they'll _find us if you keep complaining._ )

 _You're just brimming with snark today, aren't you, you son of a bitch?_

"I'm going to point out that isn't really an insult to me, considering that is an accurate description."

My retort was cut off by the sound of growling. _Huh, you were right about the them finding us thing._ I was already drawing out a pair of daggers as I turn to the source of the growling.

A trio of beowolfs walk stalk towards us. ( _Not a lot of bone plates. Probably only a year or two old._ ) I look at him.

"Not so stupid sounding now when you can estimate their strength at a glance."

I ignore him and charge the left wolf. As it attempts to swipe me, I go into a slide and slash across the beast's chest. Once I pass underneath it, I turn to face it, only to be surprised that it simply turned around to face me despite the wounds it received.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rex slice the head off one of the other two. "They're not people. Disable and kill shots only. Wounding it will only piss it off."

I return my focus on my target and wait for it to charge. As it lunges for me, I jump over and flip in the air. While upside down, I toss my dagger into the back of it's neck. The beowolf collapses and I reclaim the blade.

Rex is fighting with the last one, slicing it at the elbow and removing the arm. Another slice causes it to collapse without the support of its front legs. He stares down at it before running his sword through the beast's skull.

"I thought you said this was supposed to be lifechanging?"

The growling returns, even louder. I look around and see a much larger group of beowolfs circling us.

"They sacrifice the youngest and most foolish in order to trap us here. That is how little damage we did to the Grimm."

I barely hear Rex respond. I was caught in the gaze of the pack's Alpha, unable to tear myself from the unyielding red eyes. My every instinct screams at me to run, but my feet were planted to the ground. I felt utterly helpless as it began to pace towards me.

 _There is a reason we have been sealed away inside the Kingdoms. Why so many villages simply disappear without warning. The Grimm will not hesitate to kill us all and we could never strike them all down. They are the true predators of Remnant, and we are their prey of choice. What could I poss-  
_

( _AZURE! SNAP OUT OF IT!)_ A trio of gunshots smash into the Alpha's mask, the last piercing through and slaying it. ( _We are_ Hunters. _Let's show them how we Hunt._ )

I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding as my heart slows down. "I am going to slice all your throats out!" I rush forward and leap. My heel lands in my targets eye causing it to rear up as I flip off. I stab into the monster's heart and it falls.

( _Azure, move left!_ ) I immediately dive to the side, barely missing the claws of another beowolf. I throw a blade and it lodges in its shoulder. It roars in response and I impale the roof of its mouth with the next toss. I grab the dagger in the shoulder and slice the hand off of the next.

Rex fires and kills that one. I reclaim my other dagger and Shift to him, already slamming my blade into the back of a beowolf's neck. "You have a plan?"

He gestures his head to one of the taller tree's. "Sniper nest. I'll play bait."

"And leave you with all the risk?"

( _I can take the hits, you can't. Best option available. Do you trust me?_ )

I almost instinctively reply no when I hesitate for a fraction of a second. _I did_ trust him. Despite all the pain trust has caused me, he's slipped past my walls and I rely on him. I'm scared again, but for a whole new reason. But that can wait until we go back to Sanctum.

 _Yes._ I Shift to a branch and ready Slumber.

* * *

Rex's POV

With Azure safe I turn back to the Grimm. I point Invention. _4 of 13 fired._ I fire at two of the weaker beowolfs, killing each with a single bullet. _Primed for fun._

The wolves closed in. I stop a slash with my blade and then kick up, nailing it in the chin. This forced the weight of the claw off my sword, which struck and claimed the beast's life.

But now I was surrounded. I closed my eyes to focus on my Semblance, but I hit a wall.

The Grimm don't think, at least not in a way I can comprehend. I was surrounded by an foul blackness, filled with hate.

( _Rex!_ ) I shift my focus onto Azure, and an image appears. I look down to see myself in the circle of Grimm. A beowolf lunges at me from behind, only to be centered in a crosshairs and dropped from a round from Azure's rife. I open my eyes again, replacing the view I received from Azure. A group of the wolves charge at once.

I wait until they converge on each other. "Perfect." I fire, my burn-Dust round striking the beast in the middle, igniting its fur. With the other two so close, it quickly spreads to them. I retreat as the flames bring the three to their knees.

When the next charges, I fire a round that managed to hit in the eye. _5 rounds, then reload._

I fire at random targets, scoring another kill and wounding several of the rest. ( _Cover me!_ )

In a rehearsed movement, I pull a new clip from my stores between two fingers. Popping the clip, I catch and replace it with a small twist of my wrist.

The movement took barely more than a second, but seconds are deadly in a fight. It was long enough for another wolf to leap for me, only to be sniped down by Azure.

Quickly, Azure continues to fire as soon as she gets a clean shot. Not long after, I hear her cursing. ( _Reloading!_ ) Several beowolves move towards her tree. They can't reach her, but the whole point was to take pressure off her performance.

Pumping a bit of excess aura into my legs, I spring towards the Grimm and decapitate one before the others notice. One of this group was a lot bigger, almost certainly the beta of the pack and the soon to be Alpha. It lunges for me and I catch it with the flat of my blade. Wincing under the force, I hold my stance and reinforce my arm with aura.

The momentum of the attack carries the beta further towards me. A slight twist of my blade, and the edge starts cutting into it's arm, fueled by the attack. As the beast's head drew close, I bring my gun up and place the barrel under his jaw.

"Dethroned." I pull the trigger twice and it collapses. I turn to face the rest of the pack. With their leader and the clear second killed, there was a milld form of confusion among them. I fire and kill another beowolf. A quick glance at the two dozen corpses showed they had already lost a third of their numbers.

A new source of growling appear. I turn to face a quartet of ursai. _Damn it, we took too long._

I fire a pair of shots, but they are deflected by the thicker bone plates. Seeing the lack of point in using a gun, I return it to my jacket and charge. The ursa rears up before slamming his hand downwards. I raise my sabre in a two-handed block.

It makes contact, and the force knocks me to the ground, sliding away from the beast. On reflex I grab at the ground to stop myself, and end up nabbing a handful of loose soil and snow.

Azure fires and her shot pierces the ursa's mask, her rifle doing far more damage than my pistol could. Another of the ursai charge me. I wait for it to near before throwing my hand of dirt and snow into it's face. I dive away as it stumbles, trying to deal with the temporary blinding I gave it. It rears up and I thrust, piercing it though the chest.

It falls forward toward me. _Crap._ My blade catches on something and I am forced to dive away from the corpse without it.

A beowolf attempts to take advantage of my disarmed state. I meet it with an aura fueled kick to the head. The neck turns to an unnatural angle and the beast drops silently.

I smile briefly before I feel something slam into my back. I go flying, only to be stopped by a tree. I feel something crack and I fall to the ground. _Why do I feel so numb?_

I can't stand up, and a dark haze begins to creep into my sight. I could hear the faintest echos of a wolf howling, before it all goes dark.

* * *

 _?_

 _Deep in the cave, a pair of eyes opened. Quickly adjusting to the darkness, their owner stood up and began to walk. Outside was a forest, wreathed in shadows._ _Beasts of hatred_ _wandered between the trees, searching._

 _The wolf howled before charging forth. It was time to **hunt**._

 _?_

* * *

Azure's POV

I could only stare in shock as the ursa slammed into Rex, sending him flying into a tree. He landed in a crumpled heap and barely moved. _Shit!_

A growl drew my attention back to myself. The beowolves were circling my sniper's nest, but they thankfully couldn't reach me this far up the tree. I point my rifle at one and fired.

The bullet smashed into its mask and shattered it, sending bone fragments everywhere. I aim for the next when I hear chuckling. _What the?_

Rex stood up. Then he just started _laughing_. Most of the Grimm turn towards the sound.

* * *

Yeah, no way that  
You can hide from the best  
I'm a mess  
I'll body anything that takes a breath  
On my left is a pile of bodies  
Bigger than myself and  
On my right there's 100 scared souls  
Screaming help  
And they scatter trying to get away  
But they 'gon meet the end today  
Cuz ain't no way that they ever  
Had a chance to contend with me  
Cuz see I kill 'em all I K, K, Kill 'em all  
It's either me or them  
And my blood ain't bout to spill at all  
Cuz I'm the hunter not the huntee  
And for a enemy I guarantee that  
They don't want me  
There's something just a little different  
Bout how I run things  
Maybe it's the way  
I turn my enemies to lunch meat  
Or maybe it's the way  
I smash everything in front of me  
They don't want it  
I do it so easy it's funny, G!  
I'll turn a vet into a wannabe  
And do it to the death  
I put them in their final scene. Hey!

* * *

Rex's hands glowed with aura, but quickly changed to only cover his fingers, ending in tapered points. When a beowolf charged him, he met it head on, moving to the inside of its swipe and thrusting his fingers, _no his claws_ , into the beast's eye. Another wolf attempts to strike him from behind as the body of the first drops. Rex turns with a slash, claw meeting claw. A quick followup slash strikes the wolf in the throat. He casually flicks his wrist and sends Grimm blood flying. He pounces and slays another beowolf before looking up and howling.

He then turns his attention to the ursa that had tackled him. He lunged forward and clawed downward, only to be stopped by the bone plates. The ursa attempted to bite him, but he dashed backwards before jumping on the beast, clawing wildly. Eventually, his slash slides down the ursa's skull and dug into its vulnerable neck.

I realize that I had been staring without contributing anything to the fight.

The last of the ursai attempts to attack him, but as it raises a paw, I shoot it directly between the eyes, leaving only the last seven beowolves to finish off.

Rex turns to look up at me, and I finally notice his eyes. They were alight with fury, but there was no sign of rationality. Worse, there was no sign that he recognized me. He was looking at me like another threat.

All of a sudden I felt a strange sensation in the back of my mind and suddenly became utterly terrified. He tilts his head before a beowolf slashed at him, forcing his attention away.

The fear disappeared and the sensation faded until it was barely noticeable. I watched as Rex killed the beowolf that attacked him before his claws faded away. The next scored a blow to his right side, and I watched in fear as his jacket and shirt tore and bleeding flesh was revealed. If anything, Rex only got more pissed.

* * *

Yea yea yea yea  
I K, K, Kill 'em all! I K, K, Kill 'em all!  
Yea yea yea yea  
I K, K, Kill 'em all! I K, K, Kill 'em all!  
[x2]

I can see the fear in their faces  
And hear it when I come outta  
The box to leave 'em faceless  
It almost makes it strange for me  
To break them bones  
But nah I break so many that it's basic  
They tell me have mercy  
I hit 'em with a flurry  
Show 'em the dark side  
And give 'em hell's fury  
Now show me somebody  
On the planet to handle that  
And I'll show you a body that's open  
Just like a sandal back  
Candle wax, that's how I melt them down  
My aim is flawless, I never mess around  
Move at perfection's pace  
Taking out these clowns  
In other words you against me  
Then you going DOWN  
I said I kill 'em all I K, K, Kill 'em all  
I got more bodies than the morgue now  
Who next to fall  
Who next to find out  
What it's like for them to hit the wall  
So hard that when I'm done  
Ain't nothing left at all

* * *

Rex grabbed the beowolf by the throat. I saw his arm tense and his hand glowed black for the briefest moment. It went limp in his grasp before he dropped it.

The next beowolf lunged and he dodged it. He grabbed it before twisting his body and tossing it into a tree. He started to charge another Grimm before he suddenly collapsed onto one knee and grabbed his wound.

Without thinking, I immediately snipe the last few Beowolves before getting to Rex's side. He looks at me in confusion. "What h..." He hisses in pain before passing out.

The odd sensation finally vanishes. I grab Rex's sword and lift him up. Considering he's my weight plus half again, it wasn't easy. I repeatedly Shift in the direction of our extraction point.

I felt tired but couldn't figure out why. I look at my scroll and stare at how low our aura's are. Rex was empty and I was far lower than I should be, even taking into account how much my Semblance consumed. I Shift again, seeing it take twice my usual toll. I was moving too much weight and it was lashing back at me. _Shit..._

I make it back to the bullhead we came here on and could barely stand myself. I place Rex down before falling asleep on top of him.

 **WN: So that's a thing.**

 **Let's see Dark's notes on this... more than meets the eye, yeah that is totally _cute_ there. **

**Azure and Rex's conversations- due to their familiarity, they constantly switch between spoken words and telepathic thoughts without really noticing at times. Leads to confusion as it appears that they are having partial conversations.**

 **Azure and Rex teamwork. Rex acts as the shield, taking the brunt of the attention while Azure takes opportunistic strikes.**

 **Rex can't read Grimm. They think, but if he can't comprehend the _way_ they do so, all he has is a vague idea where they are.  
**

 **And this was left behind as well.  
**

* * *

Azure's POV

"And all this is accurate?"

I sigh. "Yes, it is all true, Miss Grey. Why is it so hard to believe?"

"Because, as far as the story and my examination go, Rex broke three ribs when he hit that tree and then proceeded to laugh it off."

I gesture to a prone Rex in the bed. "Is he going to be okay or not!?"

She grabs a chart. "Severe aura exhaustion; solves itself while he sleeps. He'll wake when it isn't a problem. Broken ribs; no training until they heal properly. Lacerations from the beowolf; keep clean and bandaged. Probably scars as well. All in all, he'll recover fine."

With that she walks off. I collapse into the chair. _At least he's going to be okay._

* * *

Rex's POV

The first thing I notice when I wake is the throbbing ache in my side. The second was Azure was asleep with her head right next to me, although she was twitching fiercely.

I quickly realize I was at Sanctum's infirmary. _What happened?_

I tentatively explore Azure's mind, trying to discover everything that occurred, only to get caught in her dream.

* * *

 _Flashes of the fight. The Alpha's glare. The Ursai arriving. Losing my sword.  
_

 _The tree. Getting up. Laughing. Animal, not Rex. Run, no stay for Rex! Doesn't recognize me. A field of Grimm corpses. Rex staring at me like a threat. He lunges-_

* * *

I break contact. Whatever happened in that forest, it scared her. _I_ scared her.

I lift my hand to her head and rub down her hair. "I won't let that happen again. I promise."


	17. Y3C1: An Old Friend, A New Enemy

**AN: Once more into the breach!... Good, I can check that off my list of cliche lines... and yes there is a list.**

 **I kinda... disturbed the Commander when I brought this chapter up to him. Alcohol and Star Wars highs really mess up your perception. To be fair, I did talk about some very creepy niche parts of the FNDM.**

Year 3: An Old Friend, A New Enemy

Azure's POV

 _Nothing quite like the noise of the city._

I walk down the street, relaxing in the anonymity of the crowd. A slight noise occurs to my side and I see a white haired boy stealing someone's wallet. I smirk. _Every Kingdom's the same once you go low enough._

The pickpocket moves towards me and I have to hold back a laugh. He bumps into me. "My apologies, miss. I wa-" He stops short as I reveal I grabbed his wrist while he tried to search me.

"Better men than you have tried and failed, rookie."

I turn to face him. "You just tried to steal from a Huntress. Got any requests before I arrest yo-" I stare into red eyes... eyes I have seen before.

Unbidden, I start muttering. _"Come now, open your eyes, look up to the flames in the skies. Come now, do not forget those embers are the final judge."_

"Excuse me?"

I release his wrist before backing up. "Don't come anywhere near me." He takes a step and I Shift as far away as possible. I don't stop fleeing until I'm back in my room.

 _He shouldn't be here! That was two Kingdoms ago... Calm down, he didn't recognize you. Still, I can't take any chances._ I pull out my makeup kit and begin looking at the dyes...

* * *

Jason's POV

 _Wait for it... NOW!_

I lunge forward at the gap in Rex's defense only for him to spin out of the way of my strike. I feel his foot on my back and stumble into a roll from the kick.

"Why do insist on _kicking_ me in the back?" I turn to face the smug smirk I've grown to tolerate.

"A wound to the back is a sign of cowardice. No true swordsman would ever willingly mark his opponent in such a disgrace manner." His smirk goes even wider. "Kicks are a different story entirely."

I smile myself. "Well, this was a nice _warm-up_. Are you ready for the real deal?" I loosen some slack on my weapons' chains.

He answers by charging forward, his left leg glowing black with aura. When he reaches me, he leaps up and brings his foot down in a flying ax kick. Bringing my blades up in an x shape, I catch him by the ankle. He brings his free hand down to catch himself and swings his sword at my legs, forcing me to back away.

I grab as much distance as I can. "Let's see you dodge this!" I swing out Wither and Blossom at his ankle and elbow, respectively. It was too low to duck under and too high to jump over, so I expected him to back out of the weapons' arc paths.

Instead he dives between the two blades. _What is he doing?_

I charge forward towards his prone body. He counters by spinning his body in an attempt to sweep me. I jump over his leg and land on his chest. _Take that Rex!_

I notice too late his chest and arms glowing black. _Well, shit._ He pushes off the ground and sends me up into the air. I throw Wither at him, only him to roll as he pulls his pistol out of his jacket. I take two bullets before I land, and quickly start catching the rest of his shots with Blossom.

Despite this, I'm smiling. These fights have moved past dominance... mostly. Now we just seek to push each other to new heights. As one, we speak aloud. "It's time to end this."

We charge, kusarigama meeting blade and gun. Rex kicks at my chest, only to be blocked and pushed back. He brings his sword downwards and I block it with Wither, bringing Blossom to his throat. _Finally!_ "I win Rex."

He shakes his head slightly. "I would check again. I have a perfectly good headshot."

 _Headshot?_ My eyes follow his arm, ending with... his gun pointed at my groin. "That is so not tournament legal."

He smirks. "We never said anything about tournament rules. Draw?"

I nod. "Draw." Then I lose control and start laughing. _Evil prick._

The two of us head to the dorm wing to pick up Azure before we head out to meet Haley. Rex knocks on the door only for it to open.

I stare. "...Azure?"

* * *

Haley's POV

 _I probably shouldn't have fallen asleep on the flight from Vale._ I yawn as walk up to the school's entrance. _Now where is everyone?_

Someone I don't know walks up to me. "Oh my... miss Onyx, I am such a huge fan! Can I please get an autograph?"

Something nags me as I look at her. I feel like I should know her, but she has milk chocolate eyes, light pink hair, and has bright green feathers.

 _Fish for a name._ "Uh... sure. Who should I make it out to?"

She giggles like a five year old. "Call me Cream."

The wind shifts, and suddenly I am assaulted by the smell of chemicals. I sniff, trying to figure it out. _Is this... hair dye?_

"Azure?"

A malicious smirk appears on her face. "Took you long enough." She turns around and calls out, "Jason, she recognized me. Pay up!"

Rex and Jason show up, Rex putting away several lein cards.

I stare at them. "You guys bet on me?"

Rex smirks. "Jason's bet. I told him the dye is too fresh and you'd smell it."

"I bought a dog whistle, Rex. Don't tempt me to use it."

"So I'm just going to bite." I turn to Azure. "Why did you dye your hair and feathers again? I thought we were past this."

She laughs. "I used to change my appearance every other week. believe me, I toned down a _lot_ since I came to Sanctum. I... just had this urge to try this out. Eventually I'll switch back, don't worry about it."

My eye slowly glances over to Rex, who was completely calm. _If it was serious, Rex would be signaling something was wrong._ I refocus on Azure and nod. "So what's the plan?"

Rex tilts his head toward Jason. "He heard there was going to be a transfer from Atlas showing up today. I wanted to check him out along with the rest for the interesting ones."

Azure scoffs. "Atleasians."

I stare at her. "My father was from Atlas."

"And he got the fuck out and went to Vale like any decent person. Girl, you are Valean, not Atleasian."

"Rex, a little help?"

He shrugs. "Racism. Atlas is statistically the most anti-Faunus of the Kingdoms. That and the military leadership sends out her authority issues into overdrive."

"Who puts the military in control during a so-called time of _peace_?"

Jason points to a gathering group of students. "Not to interrupt the conversation or anything, but Artic is pulling his bullshit again with the first years. We're sending someone to stop him, right?"

He and Rex exchange looks before they start playing rock-paper-scissors. Jason wins and walks off with a fist pump. However, I catch Rex give a slight smile as he leaves.

Azure chuckles. "I thought you told him about that stuff."

Rex shrugs. "Jason needed his turn. It's quite cathartic. Let's find a good place to watch the crowd."

* * *

Jason's POV

I stand behind Artic. " _Ahem_."

He turns around. "You again, birdie?" He raises his fist in a move to punch me.

I simply yank my arms back, causing my chains to tighten around his legs. "Timber." Another yank and he hit the ground.

I kneel down to his face. "You had one last chance to not be an ass in front of the first years. One chance. Not so fun being on the other side of the ambush, is it? And. My. Name. Is. Jason."

He spits at my foot. "Screw you."

I smirk. "You're not my type." I turn to the new kids. "Sorry about this. Artic here is one of Sanctum's 'problem children.' Me and my friends make a point of keeping him in line, so don't worry. I hope the rest of your day is more pleasant."

One of the first years steps forward. "Excuse me, but what's your name?"

I give a calm smile. "My name is Jason Breech. Now if you excuse me, I need to get back to my friends." I nod and walk back to... Azure punching the Hell out of a guy. "Who is he and why are we trying to kill him?"

* * *

Haley's POV

The three of us find a nice place to sit, and we watch as more new students start to enter. It's amazing watching that same smile walk in on nearly every face, and then there are those who have that look of determination in their eyes. They are the ones who will reach even higher levels. I understand why Rex called them the 'meaningful' ones...

Then there were the bad apples... Those that came to Sanctum for personal profit. They give Hunters a bad name, and their inevitable wake-up call would be something I wish I could watch.

Azure was the first to see him. "Oh you have to be _fucking_ with me..." I turn to see her already grabbing one of her daggers, and her eye started twitching.

Then I see just who walked in. He wore a reproduction of the Atlesian Military's officer uniform, the only difference were the blood red gloves he wore. _Vain, much?_

I barely hear Rex muttering, "Already hate him."

Then he noticed me and started approaching me. _Great, please don't be from the group who holds a grudge against my father._

"Hello, Haley Onyx?"

 _Damn, he's tall. Is this is what Azure feels like next to me?_ I am not short in the slightest, but he towered over me. "That's me."

He smiles and pulls off his glove before offering his hand. "Bushida Gwyntir. Nice to see another member of Atlas's elite in this school."

 _Not so bad._ My father said the Gwyntir family was between the traditional and progressive lines in Atlas, but my instincts were getting a bad vibe from him. _I doubt he'll be a friend, but at least he'll be pleasant._

"A pleasure." I grab his hand, and that's when it all went to Hell. My arm immediately went numb as he tightened his grip, and it quickly spread across the rest of my body. I fell to my knees and looked up. "Why?"

He smirks. "Because a half-breed _mutt_ like you is a disgrace to Atleasian nobility."

Rex pulls his gun out and points it at Bushida. "Let her go. Now."

Azure has her daggers out. "I would if I were you... You're just another racist prick to us."

He laughs. "First Alexander abandons his duties, then he elopes with some animal. Then you have the gall to enter a tournament watched across the world and _lost in the first round_! Even now, you can't fight your own battles and need some beasts to do it for you. The Onyx family is pathetic."

I growl, and my dragons begin uncoiling from my arm. However, Azure beats them to the punch and tackles Bushida to the ground. Rex picks me up and supports me on his shoulder.

Azure pins Bushida's arms to the ground with her legs, and repeatedly slams her knife hilts into his face, speaking with every strike. "Don't! You! Dare! Touch! My! Friend! You! Racist! Piece! Of! Grimm! SHIT!" I hear a crack and his nose bends badly, clearly broken.

Jason finally returns and stands there for a second before speaking. "Who is he and why are we trying to kill him?"

Rex answers. "He attacked Haley and insulted her and her family."

Jason nods. "Alright. I believe it is your turn to beat up the asshole?"

He shakes his head. "Azure, get off him." Azure quickly stands up, brushing off her outfit. "Gwyntir, you will leave us alone. I don't care if you are from some high up family, I have no issues cutting you down. If you thought Azure was a problem, do realize that she merely studied the art of pain. I have _lived and mastered_ it. I will haunt your dreams if you push me, so leave while you still have the option to do so."

I stepped away from Rex, Ivory staying between me and Bushida. Ebony was circling overhead, poised to strike.

Bushida got back on his feet and glared. _He isn't actually?_

He turned away. "This isn't worth my time."

As soon he was outta earshot, we all let out a sigh of relief. Then Azure started smiling like a madman. "Jason, I'm going to need your help for some payback. Everyone, let's head back to my room."

* * *

Jason's POV

We all find a seat before I turn to Azure. "So what exactly do you want me to do?"

Azure pulls a scroll out of her sleeve. "Do your tech magic and get me into the asshole's scroll. I can take care of everything after that."

She tosses it to me and I use my Semblance to start overriding his security. _This should be interesting to say the least._

Haley turns her head. "You stole his scroll? Why would you do that... _how_ did you do that?"

Azure smiled. "If there are two things I am good at, they are stealth and taking things that don't belong to me. As to how, it was a case of misdirection. When I tackled him, he was focused on the impact. In comparison to that, my hand entering his pocket to take the thing barely registered. The repeated hits to the face provided further distraction... and let me get my rage out."

I chuckle. "Beating up people like him is strangely relaxing, isn't it? Still, you realize that you could get in serious trouble right?"

Rex looks at me. "Says the guy who is casually tampering with stolen goods."

I shrug. "So I'm not _completely_ rule-abiding myself. Doesn't change my point." I hand the unlocked scroll back to Azure. "So, what's your plan?"

She laughs and Rex facepalms, muttering under his breath. Me and Haley move in and try to see what Azure was trying to pull off. It was... disturbing to say the least.

 _I really wish I was surprised that this is actually a thing._

Haley is much more verbal. "What the _fuck_ am I looking at?" I look at her and realize that she had called her dragons out on reflex. That, and she had turned redder than I thought she could.

 _I think you said it yourself._ "Why... just... _why?_ " Currently on screen was a rather _detailed_ video of a woman and a beowolf displaying... urges. _You know, this does **not** help with my issues with beowolves._

Azure sets the video to download before pulling up a similar one. "You see, in every society, there is a particular section of depraved _fuckwads_ who find the idea of Grimm, Mankind's greatest enemy, _banging_ people to be arousing. These sorts of videos cater to _that_ particular fetish."

Haley gulps and starts petting one of the dragons in an attempt to calm herself. "Just... _how_ do they pull this off? Grimm don't have... that."

Azure wiggles her fingers before answering in a drawling tone. "Semblance bullshit." She pulls up a new video, this one with an ursa. "They likely have someone with an illusion Semblance on the special effects team... or _is_ the special effects team."

I clear my throat. "Please tell me there is more to this plan." _Please._

Azure laughs again. "Imagine if a teacher were to find some student's scroll filled with such _scandalous_ videos. It would ruin any hope of the faculty liking the student in question."

I raise an eyebrow. "You realize there are more efficient ways to get the same results?"

She smiles. "Ah... but this lets me maintain anonymity and plus there is always ...potential... for this to spread out to the student body... what would they think?"

 _She is a very scary person for an entirely different reason than Rex._

Haley stands up and starts to leave. "As enlightening as this discussion into the perverse nature of Grimm is, I getting out of it. If you like it, good for you. Please never involve me with this stuff again as I try to repress the last ten minutes."

Rex scoffs. "Never works."

"I can still _try_ , Rex!" The door slams behind her.

I look at Azure as she slips the Scroll into her sleeve. "Why do _you_ know about this?"

She shakes her head as she pushes me and Rex out the door. "I've met some messed up people. That's all I am going to say on the matter."

I turn to Rex only to get cut off. "Don't ask if you value your sanity."

I nod. "Okay... I'll see you in class." I turn and walk away from the craziness.

 **WN: I went to a weird place in this chapter, I'll admit that.  
**

 **Admittedly, that's me taking a potshot at that part of the RWBY FNDM. Looking at it from a in-universe perspective, most people, especially Huntsman and Huntresses, would find that incredibly disturbing. I don't like it, but, as Haley said, if it works for you, have fun.**

 **...Also, I believe that's the first time I made Haley swear. I try to keep consistency with little details, which actually includes any propensity to swear when I write them. Haley has, due to her family and upbringing, been the one least likely to start swearing in my eyes... Which makes her actually doing so all the more impactful.**

 **As for Bushida** **Gwyntir, gwyn and tir are the Welsh words for 'white' and 'land', respectively and a hint to his Atlesian background. Bushida is actually a corruption of the term Bushido, a sign he does not follow the code he is named for. In other words, his name could be feasibly translated to 'The dishonorable warrior of the white land.' I've bought him in for a reason- Artic is not going to be in the fic in the last year. He's supposed to graduate at the end of this one, and the role of _bastard enemy_ is being freed up.  
**

 **On less related notes, Team PHNX has been working on a rather interesting meta-project behind the scenes for Dressed in DRAB and Phoenix Rose... Well most of us (I'm talking to you, you lazy Grey Jedi!). It still requires a bit more work before it's finished, but please look forward to it.**

* * *

Adam's POV

I speak clearly into the scroll. "Report."

"Yes, sir! As is stands, I have managed to convince one of my fellow students to join our cause when the time is right. There are several others who I am planning to approach by the end of the year."

"Well done. now onto matters you were originally sent there for..."

"I already procured a list of Sanctum's most talented Hunters in the top two years. Unfortunately, any plans they may have on site are sealed away, out of my reach. About our... priority targets?"

"If you can arrange an _accident_ , do so. If not, continue watching. You've done well."

"Thank you, Uncle!"

"Quiet! You know that I am not 'Uncle' when on operations... take care of yourself. It will only take one slip-up to ruin all this work."

"Yes, Un- sir!


	18. Y3C2: The Fallen Angel's Puppet

**AN: Yeah, I have no excuses for how long this took, I was 70% done with this about a week after I released the last chapter.  
**

 **Song is _Dangerous_ by Royal Deluxe**

Year 3: The Fallen Angel's Puppet

Jason's POV

I was with Rex and Haley, trying to figure out how to deal with Bushida.

Haley broaches the question. "So, where's Azure?"

Rex turns to look at her. "She didn't tell you... actually, that makes sense. She got detention for breaking Gwyntir's nose."

Haley frowned. "She defended me! How did Bushida get off free?"

Rex shrugs. "He had physical evidence of what Azure did to him. We only have our word on the matter. Even if they believed us, Azure _did_ go past acceptable boundaries in paying him back."

I nod. "Just be glad they haven't been able to pin the scroll thing on her. Still, "I hold my scroll playing a recording of Bushida practicing, "we have to focus on shutting this asshole down."

Rex nods. "Let's assume his goal is twofold. First, prove himself as superior because of his 'noble blood.' Second, shame Haley and the Onyx household. Interconnected, but separate. What can he do to achieve this and how do we counter it?"

Haley speaks up. "The most obvious answer is beat me in a sparring class or take Pyrrha's title from her." Rex grunts at the mention of Pyrrha as Haley continues. "That's why we have samples of how he fights."

Rex returns to watching the video, as Bushida weaves a complex series of stabs and parries with a silver-tinted spear. "I'll admit Gwyntir is rather clever with his weapon choice."

I look at it again. "Not really, sure he can get some range on the thrusts, but a spear is pretty easy to counter. There's a reason Pyrrah has a second melee form for her weapon."

Rex closes his eyes with another grunt. "That's my point. How would you counter a spear?"

"Either stay outside the thrust range, which will almost certainly lead him to revealing a ranged form for it or charging his opponent, or... move in close so he can't get the full force of his strikes."

Haley nods. "He chose a weapon with a weakness that his Semblance counters. If you try to move in, he can just grab you and bring you to your knees."

 _That just creeps me out. If our Semblance is a reflection of a piece of ourselves, what are you that causes it to make you **toxic** to others?_

Rex opens his eyes again. "So we need to know how to counter his combat style. He took off his glove before shaking Haley's hand. Unless he was clever enough to give a false tell, that almost certainly means he requires skin to skin contact for it to work."

Haley shrugs. "The best option would be to stay at range and weaken him from afar."

Rex shakes his head. "Just from that, he hard counters you, Haley. Your only ranged option is your Semblance, and you keep your left arm exposed, making a large target for him to use _his_."

Haley gets upset. "So what if he tries challenging me? Refusing means I look afraid of him, which means he wins that way!"

Rex smirks. "The same thing we do if he goes for Nikos, Jason steps in."

I stare at him. "Who are you and what have you done to Rex?"

Rex tilts his head. "Was that really that odd to say?"

 _You have got to be joking. "_ I thought you would leaping at the chance to tear him apart."

"While I have a bit more options than Haley, I rely on close combat too much to fight him reliably. You and Azure both are better for our plan, but... Azure's style was not meant for an one on one fight, at least not a fair one."

I contemplate it. _He trusts me to beat Bushida more than himself?_ "So how do we make sure he fights me after we stop his challenge?"

Haley starts to laugh. "We use his pride. Challenge that, and he won't even consider another option."

I smile. "So let's figure out how exactly we're going to bait him into a trap..."

* * *

By the time sparring class came around, we had hammered out a plan that would destroy Bushida. Azure didn't show up, because apparently part of her punishment was that she wasn't allowed to participate in class and she consequently felt no need to be there. Rex and Haley were both recording, so she'll still get to see at least.

As soon as the professor asks if there were any volunteers, Bushida stood up. "I challenge Pyrrha Nikos."

 _So he's going straight for the champ._ True to our plan, I start to laugh. Everyone's eyes turn to me. I focus on the fact that he didn't get his nose set in time, and leaned slightly to the left to make my laughter all the more convincing.

Bushida looks furious. "You find that funny?"

I smirk at him. "You show up and immediately challenge the Kingdom's champion? We've all proven our worth to fight her. You haven't shown yourself to be worthy of _licking her boots_. So yes, I find your audacity hilarious. You got a problem with that, bent-nose?"

If looks could burn, I probably be ashes by now, aura or not. "I've changed my mind. _Him._ "

I stand up and go to grab my gear. soon enough, the two of us were waiting for the right to begin. "Here is my prediction of this fight. I win, you lose."

* * *

This is how it's gonna be  
This is what you'll think of me  
It's going down like I told you  
This is how it's gonna be

I'll be the last man standing here  
I'm not going anywhere  
It's going down like I told you  
I'll be the last man standing here

(What you gonna do?) I'm gonna rock you  
(What you gonna do?) I'm gonna rock you  
(What you gonna do?) I'm gonna rock you

I'll have you beggin' for mercy, beggin for mercy Oh  
I'm dangerous, so dangerous  
I'm dangerous, so dangerous

* * *

I fire off a pair of bullets as he charges straight towards. As he nears me, I dodge right while I launch Whither down low. He dodges the strike and places his foot on the chain. I throw Blossom in a downward arc toward his head and hold back a chuckle as he uses his spear to catch it, tying his weapon to me.

He laughs. "I seem to have you without a weapon."

I smile. "You really don't." I pull on Whither, hard. His foot slips and I use his lack of balance to disarm him by tugging on Blossom. I catch the spear and twirl it. "Such gaudy design. Still, a weapon is a weapon."

' _gaudy? Unhand me, you damn filthy animal!'_

 _And it has its owner's attitude._ I toss it, point first, back at him.

He ducks underneath it. By now, I had my weapons back in hand and wait for his next move. He runs back for his spear, opening him up to unload the rest of my clips into his back.

* * *

I'm the baddest mother up in here  
And I'm about to make it clear  
It's going down like I told you  
I'm the baddest mother up in here

(What you gonna do?) I'm gonna rock you  
(What you gonna do?) I'm gonna rock you  
(What you gonna do?) I'm gonna rock you

I'll have you beggin' for mercy, beggin for mercy Oh  
I'm dangerous, so dangerous  
I'm dangerous, so dangerous

* * *

He grabs his spear and hits a trigger, the point opening up to reveal a gun barrel. He points it at me and I dive to dodge the bullet. I see the wall behind me. There was a giant crack radiating out from where the shot hit.

 _So glad I didn't try to block that._ Still, I have to applaud the tactic. His gun-form is much more dangerous than the spear, meaning normally people will go back into close range. However, this wasn't normal circumstances.

As he shifts the barrel back towards me, I take a weaving pattern, reloading my guns as I dodge his shots. "You still think your all that tough?" I send both blades out in horizontal arcs, converging at his torso. He moved forward, shifting his weapon back to a spear. I take the thrust and grab the spear shaft as I move back with the impact. Once I have a grip, I let my momentum bring my leg up to kick him in the gut, and once more disarm him. I slide my hand across his weapon before casually tossing it back to him while I check the board for our aura levels, as if I was merely playing with him.

 _Admittedly, I am._ It was a cheap trick, and barely cost me much to perform.

He backs up and starts to shift the weapon back to the gun, only to stop halfway through. I laugh. "You didn't even maintain the thing? Or did you rely on all those servants of yours to do it for you?" _No wonder Rex antagonizes people when he fights them. It feels amazing._

People underestimate what it means to be technopathic. Everyone assumes it means somebody can speak to computers on their level. I do _far_ more. Technology is _all_ things crafted by Man and Faunus... even our weapons. A weapon's mechashift trigger is rather simple in comparison to computers, but it is still a _machine_. The second time I grabbed his spear, I gave it a similarly simple command; **lock-up** _._

* * *

Get ready cause here I come  
I'm about to come and get me some  
Hot as a smoking gun  
So get ready cause here I come

(What you gonna do?) I'm gonna rock you  
(What you gonna do?) I'm gonna rock you  
(What you gonna do?) I'm gonna rock you

* * *

"Looks like you can't rely on that garbage anymore. The kid's glove come off." I draw my chains back and wrap them across my forearms, ready to test the next theory.

Bushida tosses his spear to the side and removed his gloves with a snarl that wouldn't look out of place on Rex. "Bastard. I'm going to make this painful."

I casually shift my glance to Rex and Haley. Haley was watching closely, concern and support showing, while Rex nodded towards me before closing his eyes and leaning back, absolutely certain of my victory. I let another chuckle escape me.

Apparently that was the wrong response, and Bushida launched forward with reckless abandon. I duck under his grab and swing my fist out, slamming my chained arm into his exposed back, sending him stumbling. "Second verse, same as the first. Come up with something original, _please_."

He marches forward more carefully this time, lunging towards me at the last second. I instinctively bring my arm up to block, and he smirks as he latches onto it. I smile back, and watch as his expression shows shock that his Semblance didn't bring me down before an understanding frown replaces it. He grab _only_ my chain, there was no flesh exposed. I bring my other hand up and smash Blossom against his face.

"I'm sorry, was that supposed _to do_ something?"

 _That trick only works with surprise, and I made him blow it on the first fight. Anyone with half a brain will realize that they can't afford to let him grab them now._ To be fair, revealing all his tricks was part of the original plan.

He rears his fist back and charges again, too angry to think straight. I dodge to the side, swinging my chain low. It wraps around his leg and I pull him to the floor. As he moves to stand up, I use my other chain to grab his free leg and bring him down again.

As he tries to untangle his legs, I begin walking towards him and speak. "Do you understand what happened here? From the minute I walked down here, you have been following the script _I_ wrote, and this is the part where the villain of the piece falls." I stomp on his face, finally bringing his aura into the red. "Be grateful I didn't break your nose again. Don't fuck with my friends again."

I flick the chains loose and walked away as the match was called.

* * *

I'll have you beggin' for mercy, beggin for mercy Oh  
I'm dangerous, so dangerous  
I'm dangerous, so dangerous

* * *

 **WN: I really apologize for the 5 month wait for this. Worse still, I got an internship at a law firm, so I won't be able to write as much this summer. Still, it was nice to finally give Jason a chapter to truly shine in a duel.  
**

 **Jason was rather odd, as he doesn't develop a strict form in combat, and kusarigama give him a variety of combat styles at multiple ranges (his Semblance doesn't help either). While Haley, Rex, and Azure have dedicated strengths and weaknesses, Jason's edge is his ability to adapt and shift the game against his opponents.**

 **The inspiration for Bushida's weapon actually came from the Samurai Warriors series, specifically Ieyasu Tokugawa's spear- _cannon_. Yeah, I actually had to tone a weapon _down_ to fit in RWBY. **

**...I never thought that sentence could be written without being sarcastic.**

* * *

Rex's POV

 _She should be here in 3... 2... 1- now!_

I turn the corner to see Nikos. She jumps slightly at my appearance, but quickly regains her composure. "Rex. It's a pleasure to see you again."

I sigh internally. "Cut the crap with the fake niceties. I take it you saw our little gift during the sparring today?"

"I'm sorry? Gift?"

"There was a decent chance if he got his chance to fight you, his Semblance would have beaten you. Especially since we both know yours wouldn't help in the slightest against a grab."

Her confusion is evident. "You mean that was a performance for my sake... Why would you aid me considering you don't like me?"

I smile with far too many teeth to be friendly. "It was only partially for you. He struck at my pack and retaliation was required. Simply put, me and mine hate him more than I dislike you. I don't want him to have the title of Mistral's strongest, so showcasing his abilities while Jason ground him to dust merely was icing on the cake. Otherwise I would have settled it out of class in a far more severe manner. You could consider it a peace offering between us or a favor to be paid to Jason at a later day."

A light shone behind her eyes. "Thank you, Rex."

I feel my scroll vibrate, but ignore it. "Don't expect us to be friends. I simply see no point in keeping you as a long-term enemy. That you may owe me in the future is simply something to take advantage of."

I turn around and turn back around the corner, she tries follows me but backs off as I am nowhere to be seen.

As soon as she leaves, I open my scroll to check on the message. Azure sent me a picture and I quickly open it.

...

... _Did she really?_ Azure was standing in front of Boarius' room, tore into a mess and several empty vials of her 'anti-Faunus' perfume in her hand. Lying on his bed was a single red glove.

I quickly send a reply. **_You know_ this end badly.**

Her reply comes back almost immediately. **_F_** _ **or** **them.**_


End file.
